


cobwebs grown like grapevines

by astroblemish



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Flirting, M/M, Minor Kim Jongdae | Chen/Park Chanyeol, Wine, just dumb boys being soft and in love, tender gay chicken soup for the soul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24961795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astroblemish/pseuds/astroblemish
Summary: Pretending to like wine to impress the handsome culinary expert is number one on Baekhyun's top ten list of stupidest things he's ever done, but he likes to think it worked out in the end.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Junmyeon | Suho
Comments: 43
Kudos: 240





	cobwebs grown like grapevines

**Author's Note:**

> shoutout to the past me of last year who hated wine when they started writing this. i've betrayed you.
> 
> it's been quite some time since i've written something for myself that had a ""plot"" and even longer since ive written something that isn't lowkey depressing ;-; that being said, thank you to cat as always for Perceiving me and keeping my ego nice and big and strong.

* * *

The most important life lesson Baekhyun has ever learnt is this: don’t lie on your resume.

Even if you have twenty cents to your name and enough desperation in your body to cure world hunger if it were turned into a nutritious resource, don’t fucking lie on your resume --not about important skills pertaining to the job.

Say for example, if you are applying to work at a vineyard,  _ don’t fucking lie about liking wine. _

Baekhyun swallows the mouthful down, and uses every ounce of concentration in his body not to grimace.

“It’s good,” he tells his boss, forcing a smile.

“Yeah I bet Baekhyun really liked that one,” Jongdae, the absolute asshole that he is, says. “Maybe let him have another taste?”

“Sure!” Minseok replies cheerily, splashing another mouthful into Baekhyun’s glass. He shoots Jongdae a glare that says  _ I will cut off your balls and feed them to the vultures scavenging your corpse _ .

Jongdae’s smug smirk replies:  _ you cannot kill me in a way that matters _ .

But Minseok, god bless Minseok, sweet, kind, actually-not-an-asshole boss that he is, only smiles at Baekhyun expectantly as he holds up his glass, swirling it around in that way that everyone tasting wine always seems to do even though it makes no difference. He wishes he could down it like a shot, but he has to take the mouthful, inhale the air, let it sit on his tongue so that all the bitterness and sourness and acidity can linger.

He swallows.

“Delicious,” he tells Minseok through a wince. His voice cracks a little.

“Yeah it’s good stuff, huh? Came out really well, I’m so happy.” Minseok’s grin is adorable even if Baekhyun still wants to die. He needs a thousand litres of bleach to wash out the wine in his mouth. “I think we should start pushing this, lower the price tag of the last batch of shiraz to get it out and bump this one up. We’re probably going to put it on the tastings set too.”

“Great,” Baekhyun says, forcing a smile. “Everyone’s gonna love it.”

“Not as much as you do~” Jongdae sing-songs, which only makes Minseok beam brighter. Baekhyun kicks him under the table and Jongdae yelps.

“I’m glad you like it, because we have an important group coming tomorrow and I’d hoped you two would help me out.”

Baekhyun and Jongdae exchange a look.

“What do you mean by important?” Jongdae asks.

“It's a company looking for wines to serve in their restaurants,” Minseok explains. “Since it’s so hard for us to get shelf sales, this is a big chance for us.”

“Jongdae I get, but me?” Baekhyun points at himself innocently. “I’m still kinda new…”

“It’s been six months, Baekyun, and you’ve done well!” Minseok pats Baekhyun’s shoulder, who withers under his touch. “I need someone who can sell, and you two are my go-tos, okay? But don’t tell anyone else that.” 

Minseok’s smile turns secretive, but it’s not like Baekhyun is surprised. He’d bullshitted his way through wine during the interview no thanks to furious wikipedia searches the night before, but the thing that had really given him the job was his people skills. Minseok is passionate about running the vineyard but he can be a little shy; it’s Jongdae and Baekhyun that do all the charming and up-selling, getting the bottles off the racks. It’s the most comfortable part of the job, to Baekhyun, smiling and batting his eyelashes and watching people buy a dozen bottles instead of two. He had come from sales, after all.

“Okay,” Baekhyun agrees. “We’ll do our best.”

  
  
  
  
  


Walking back to the parking lot, Jongdae says, “You are so full of shit.”

“I know,” Baekhyun agonises, groaning as he rubs his face. “This is such a big deal for Minseok how the fuck am I going to help? They’re  _ restaurateurs,  _ they’ll like, actually ask shit about the wine!!!”

Jongdae shrugs, useless as ever. “Just do your usual memorisation and stuff, scripted answers. If it’s that bad you can always ask me for help.”

"I guess." Baekhyun still slumps. Asking Jongdae to take over doesn't look very professional, for Baekhyun or the business. But maybe that's the perfectionist inside him, nagging even now. "Whatever, just another day of pretending I don't want to die."

"You're the one that chose to work here!" Jongdae reminds him before getting in the driver's seat. Baekhyun sighs for a moment before getting in the passenger's side.

As always, they bicker over who gets the aux cord with Jongdae groaning when Baekhyun wins scissors paper rock, complaining about his 'boring lo-fi beats', like he isn't singing along. Jongdae drops Baekhyun off at his house with his usual nag that Baekhyun needs to do gardening before driving off. Baekhyun gives him the finger.

Though he is right; Baekhyun grimaces as he has to tread through the grass to get to the front door, nearly up to his thighs. Jongdae complains to show he's caring --he knows better than anyone how overwhelmed Baekhyun can get, how he just needs a little push sometimes to get back on track.

But even Jongdae's nagging isn't enough to make him garden. If someone had told Baekhyun how much work upkeeping a garden was, he wouldn't have bothered moving into his grandma's house to begin with. Then again, it's not like he'd given it that much thought when he did it.

  
  
  
  


Jongdae picks up Baekhyun early the next day, so they can help Minseok prep for the restaurant group and so that Jongdae can help Baekhyun prep his answers about each wine.

Jongdae, young alcoholic that he is, loves wine as much as he loves beer, insists that they all have their own flavours and tastes and that Minseok is a master of the grape arts. Baekhyun thinks all wine tastes the same amount of awful, which is why he's got a bit of a handicap when it comes to his job. Hard to sell something you don't like.

But he's quite the adept liar, scripting the answers of his 'favourites' with Jongdae, listing the wines from sweet to heavy, how tannic they are. Once Jongdae deems him ready, they head in.

They set up one of the event spaces to copy the wine tasting of the main foyer, just with different selections and a quieter atmosphere. Baekhyun gulps a little as he lines the bottles out, significantly less confident in these than the usual range they do for tastings. Whatever. It should be fine. 

They filter in at about eleven, a group of six, all professionally dressed and making Baekhyun feel out of his depth. Once upon a time all the perfectly fitting jeans and pressed shirts would've been exactly where Baekhyun flourished, but now it just makes him nervous, like they can smell the weakness on him, like they know he wasn't good enough to keep his life ironed as straight as his shirts once were.

But Baekhyun smiles all the same, greets them as they enter while Jongdae stops chopping cheese to show them in, leading them to the bar.

Usually there's a middle-man to play salesman between wineries and sellers, which is why it's kind of a big deal to have them come straight to the source, so impressed with Minseok's wines they want to make deals for the labels sold beyond the middle-men, maybe even a house wine of their own. From Minseok's morning briefing, each person here works under the same conglomerate but different restaurants, so each person will be seeking different wines to accompany their respective restaurant's cuisine.

Which is... A lot. And mostly on Jongdae. Baekhyun would almost feel sorry for him, if Jongdae wasn't such a piece of shit.

They'd worked it out earlier anyway --Jongdae's job is to do the talking, and Baekhyun will stand there and look pretty, top up water, pour wine, be charming. 

Easy enough.

They start with the sparkling, as always, which is made  _ methode traditionale _ to give it extra fizz and toastiness. Whatever the  _ fuck _ that means. 

But it’s good fun to pop the cork and pour it into the six flutes as Baekhyun makes his way down the line and Jongdae talks about how the yeast is left to ferment in the tank and then there’s a second process in the bottle before the dead yeast is left to suspend because apparently people want to hear that and find it appetising. Luckily they’re listening to him and not paying too much attention to Baekhyun, allowing him to make it to the end of the line in relative peace.

Though by the last glass he accidentally splashes some over the edge as the bubbles rise too quickly --a common occurrence.

“Sorry about that,” Baekhyun quickly apologises, reaching for the cloth hanging off his apron string. He picks the folded material up to wipe the edge of the glass, startling when his fingers brush against the man’s.

“Don’t worry about it,” he reassures with a practiced smile that curves his eyes. Baekhyun blinks at it for a second longer than usual, then scurries away.

The tasting goes well; they’re impressed with the wines, clearly, and the only questions they ask Baekhyun are the ones that he can give scripted answers to. Baekhyun brings Minseok in so they can start talking business, and excuses himself outside for a smoke break.

He goes through the back door and crouches by the far wall, overlooking the rows of grape vines crawling along stretches of wire, and the hills in the distance. Baekhyun’s fingers shake as he sprinkles ground tobacco into a rolling paper, licks the edge to seal it. The familiar routine helps to centre him, even though he knows Jongdae will berate him for ‘killing himself slowly’ once he goes back inside.

It’s stupid, to get so anxious over nothing but. Well. Baekhyun supposes it’s his forte.

Baekhyun startles when he hears footsteps crunching on gravel, and someone rounds the corner, leaning against the wall with a sigh. He hasn’t seemed to notice Baekhyun, which is a little awkward, because when he turns enough to the right he startles and jumps a little. Cute.

“Sorry,” the stranger quickly apologises. “I didn’t realise someone was here.”

“It’s okay.” Baekhyun shrugs. He recognises the guy from earlier, the wine tasting. He’s one of the fancy restauranteurs and out here in broad daylight he looks it too. Expensive beige coat and perfectly fitting jeans with leather lace-ups that reflect the sun with their shininess. He’s just as effortlessly handsome out here as he had been inside. “You’re uh, allowed to be here.”

“Oh, good.” The guy sighs in relief, and slides down the wall until he’s nearly sitting on the gravel before bunching up his coat so the tails don’t get dirty and finally sitting down. “Can I borrow a lighter, please?”

So polite. “Sure.” Baekhyun shuffles on the gravel to hold it out, to which the guy gratefully accepts, reaching into his inside pocket to pull out a carton of cigarettes. How fancy. He lights one and inhales, tossing the lighter back. Baekhyun catches it in one hand, lets it dangles between his fingers.

They smoke in their respective silences with a weird amount of distance between them, the stranger just looking lost in thought as he stares out at the grape vines and mountains. Baekhyun feels all itchy and restless, wondering if he should say something. It’s hard to know how much of that is the nagging anxiety in his gut, how much of that is the part of him that’s still switched into customer service mode, but there’s just-- something in the air that makes him want to pull at it, see the silence snap.

“Rough day?” he asks eloquently, wincing at the cheesiness.

The stranger chuckles. “No, just too much wine.”

Baekhyun snorts. “A modern tragedy.”

The guy smiles, a small thing, but it still curves his eyes, if only just. “I don’t care for drinking, it’s bad for you.”

“So is smoking.”

“I should be allowed one vice.” Baekhyun laughs at how put-out the stranger looks, turning up his nose a little. “Wine is nice but… my head hurts.”

He sounds a little tipsy, even, words strung together as he rubs at his temples, cigarette polluting the crisp outside air as it smokes in his pretty fingers. Baekhyun doesn’t know what else to say, not having thought this far ahead, but luckily he doesn’t have to.

“That’s probably more my coworkers than the wine, though,” the stranger mumbles, inhaling another drag. 

“They seem pretentious,” Baekhyun blurts before he can stop himself, then clamps a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, shit, I didn’t mean--”

The guy chuckles. “You’re not wrong,” he admits. “All part of the business, I suppose. I just… don’t exactly... Fit in.”

And Baekhyun gets it, really, because he knows what it’s like to be different. Whether it’s where his parents are from and the language he speaks at home to who he likes to bring into his bed he was born fundamentally different into a country that pretends to celebrate diversity while simultaneously hating it. 

“Kinda like… that,” the guy continues with a slight slur, confusing Baekhyun. When he glances over the guy is pointing out into the distance and laughing. “What  _ is _ that?” 

Baekhyun follows his gaze, noting the creaky, broken down hut in the midst of the vineyards. He laughs.

“It’s an old cellar,” Baekhyun tells him. “We used to use it before the business expanded and we needed the space for more vines, but it was too expensive to get rid of the building so we just… left it.”

“It looks so sad,” the guy notes, then chuckles, rubbing his temples. “Ah, definitely too much wine.”

“No, you’re right,” Baekhyun is quick to agree. “It does look kind of sad, doesn’t it?”

They share a tentative smile with the awkward space between them, cigarettes smoking into the air, but the moment breaks when someone calls, “Junmyeon?”

The man in front of Baekhyun swallows and stands, crushing his cigarette under his foot, then bending to scoop up the remaining stub and pocketing it.

“That’s my cue,” he says. “Thanks for the lighter.”

“Uh. Anytime?” Baekhyun offers, but just like that the man -- _ Junmyeon _ \-- is gone, leaving only the faint scent of his cologne and cigarette smoke behind.

  
  
  
  


The big group of wine-tasters are cooped up in the business room with Minseok for hours before finally filing out, one by one. Baekhyun and Jongdae had been dealing with walk-ins in the meantime, but as they walk out through the main tasting room Baekhyun catches Junmyeon’s eyes and smile. They exchange a small wave across the floor, and then, just like that, he’s gone.

“You two…” Minseok starts, putting one arm around their necks respectively and making them yelp as they’re tugged down to his chest. “I could kiss you. I could marry you! Is polygamy legal?”

“I don’t know if your wife would appreciate that,” Baekhyun mutters, wincing. Minseok lets go.

“Ah probably not.” He grins, not even pinching Baekhyun for the snide remark. He must  _ really _ be in a good mood. “But she will appreciate the deal we just made! They want like, half the wines they tasted. That’s amazing!”

“I’m so happy for you,” Jongdae adds.

“Be happy for  _ us _ ,” Minseok corrects. “We’re a team, and we sold these bottles together. Ahh just think! People will taste our wines in their restaurants and want to come straight to the source!!!”

God his excitement is so cute. 

“Woo!” Jongdae cheers, slapping Baekhyun’s shoulder. “More people for us to talk about wine with.”

“Hahahahaha,” Baekhyun laughs stiffly. “Great.” 

Minseok must really be feeling generous, because he lets them out an hour early, promising to close up by himself. Baekhyun doesn’t need to be told twice, and neither does Jongdae, which is good considering he’s his ride home. 

All in all, despite the fanfare around the business deal and nailing it, it doesn’t feel like much of a different day. Baekhyun makes himself rice and spam with a fried egg and curls up with it on the sofa watching TV with Mongryong snoring against his thigh. If he thinks about strange, handsome men with polite smiles, well... it’s only for a brief moment.

  
  
  
  
  


The weekend comes as a relief to Baekhyun, grateful to not have work. He lazes around in bed for a few hours, scrolling through his phone watching youtube videos and looking at memes on Facebook, but eventually Mongryong’s whining grows too loud to ignore, so he gets up and showers, eats breakfast, puts on clothes. Riles Mongryong up by saying  _ walk? Walkies!? _ Then wonders if he can ever find a way to communicate to his own dog how grateful he is to have a reason to get up in the morning.

Mongryong probably wouldn’t care even if Baekhyun could, which is part of the reason why he loves him so much. No judgement is a good thing, to Baekhyun.

With the weather warming up, the beach is surprisingly busy, something Baekhyun isn’t used to. It’s not too bad though, because they’re still in the middle of nowhere, it just means a lot of tourists and rich people with beach houses are around, so Baekhyun has to rush up to apologise and tug Mongryong away every time he bothers someone. He’s too sociable for his own good. 

Luckily the off-leash beach means Mongryong gets tired pretty easy, his little legs not built for all that running. Baekhyun laughs as he watches him pathetically trot to get the ball before walking over to someone sitting on the sand and dumping his sandy self in their lap.

“Oh my god.” Baekhyun hurries over. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright.” The person looks up at him, then freezes, and Baekhyun freezes too.

“Oh,” he blurts. “You. Hi.”

“...Hi.” It’s Junmyeon, from work the other day. He’s sitting cross-legged on a towel with a bucket hat on and a windbreaker, reading a paperback book. 

“Sorry about Mongryong, he loves people. And pats. And sitting by feet, weirdly? Might be some kind of dog fetish.”

“It’s alright,” Junmyeon insists, laughing breathily. “He’s very cute.” He reaches down to scratch Mongryong’s sandy tummy, and Mongryong looks up at Junmyeon like he’s in love. Baekhyun feels almost jealous, though he’s not sure of who. 

Baekhyun should tug Mongryong away and find some sort of excuse to leave, but Mongryong looks so comfortable and Junmyeon is so handsome he really doesn’t want to. He can pretend like he doesn’t know why, but he does. 

“I’m Baekhyun, by the way,” Baekhyun introduces.

“Junmyeon,” he responds with a nod, and Baekhyun resists the urge to say  _ I know _ .

“So what brings you out here?” Baekhyun asks. Junmyeon looks up at him with a rapt sort of attention that makes Baekhyun nervous, even while he scratches Mongryong’s fat tummy. “I thought you city-folk were only down for the day.”

“We were,” Junmyeon answers. “Or, my coworkers were. I wanted to make a weekend trip for myself while I was down. I’ve never explored the peninsula before.”

“Oh? And how’s it been so far?”

“Honestly?” Junmyeon asks, and Baekhyun nods for confirmation. He looks sheepish. “Lonely. I wanted a nice weekend trip to relax, but I forgot how hard it is to do things on your own. All I want to do is stay in bed and read.” 

“That’s not a bad thing,” Baekhyun responds, sits himself on the sand beside Junmyeon and then wonders if this is too much. Junmyeon doesn’t look uncomfortable with it, so Baekhyun tries to take that as a sign. “Sometimes staying in bed  _ is _ a holiday.”

Junmyeon laughs, but he hides it behind a hand. Baekhyun wants to pull it away.

“You’re right,” Junmyeon agrees. “But I do plenty of bed-staying on a normal weekend. I wanted to do something fun while I’m here.” He pauses. “More fun than a wine tasting, at least. But then I researched all the things to do and just felt overwhelmed.”

It startles a laugh out of Baekhyun, so loud it has Mongryong looking up. He quickly clamps a hand over his mouth, embarrassed, but Junmyeon is only smiling, eyes curved and all, so maybe it’s not as humiliating as Baekhyun thinks.

“I get that,” he says, because he does. “I’m a local and I haven’t even done half the tourist-y things around here, but I’ve done the good ones.” Baekhyun licks his lips quickly, thinks about that soccer quote. You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don’t take. Maybe it’s basketball? God Baekhyun hates sports. “There’s a cafe up the sand not to far from here if you don’t mind a quick walk. I can help you sort through them, if you’d like? Give you the best recommendations. From a local.”

Junmyeon looks startled, then looks down, adjusting his bucket hat.

“Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

Junmyeon is quick to tuck his book away, dust off his towel, and follow a grinning Baekhyun up the sand, laughing at him as he has to wrestle Mongryong into his harness to get the leash on. 

“I tried to take my cat walking once,” Junmyeon says. “She was having none of it.” He laughs then, at himself, almost startled by it, and Baekhyun thinks it might be the prettiest sound in the world. “Gosh, I should not have said that. I’m embarrassing. I bought her a harness and everything.”

“I think it’s cute,” Baekhyun flirts, which has Junmyeon furiously tugging at his bucket hat again. “What’s your cat’s name?”

The short walk from the beachfront to the cafe Baekhyun learns this: Junmyeon is thirty-one, he lives alone in an apartment in the middle of the city with a ragdoll named Picatso ---which, when said, Baekhyun cringes at and Junmyeon laughs so hard no sound comes out. He’s an area manager over a couple of restaurants under his company supervising their business and set-up et cetera et cetera; Junmyeon insists it’s not that interesting, but Baekhyun says,

“Better than working in a vineyard.”

“I love wine though,” Junmyeon counters. “Alcohol is terrible for you but... I do like wine.”

_ That makes one of us _ , Baekhyun thinks.

“It’s nice, but it’s not very interesting.” Baekhyun rubs the back of his neck even as he opens the cafe door, the bell tingling overhead. “And it won’t go anywhere either. Much to my parents’ dismay.”

Junmyeon laughs with a sort of tightness that tells he understands.

“That’s not a bad thing,” he argues. “Life doesn’t have to be about climbing one big ladder. Besides, the winery is gorgeous, and working there, it’s… it’s all very…”

“Rustic?” Baekhyun suggests. Junmyeon nods. 

“I’d love to work somewhere more genuine like that,” he says almost wistfully, but before Baekhyun can ask more a waitress walks over and asks if they want a table for two, which he agrees.

Baekhyun orders an iced coffee like the gay little stereotype he is, and Junmyeon orders some fancy herbal tea that has Baekhyun squinting a little. Definitely not giving off straight vibes, but it’s no iced coffee. They sit on the deck under an umbrella so Baekhyun can tie Mongryong to the chair and let him flop over and pant to cool down. At least now Junmyeon has taken his bucket hat off, shaking out his hair and looking at his reflection in his phone screen to fix wayward strands with his fingertips. Baekhyun suddenly feels a little self-conscious, in his sweats and unshaven, compared to Junmyeon’s perfect beauty. He hadn’t been planning on bumping into handsome men on the beach, after all, let alone attempting to flirt with them.

The silence is comfortable but itches at Baekhyun regardless, eagerly pulling out his phone.

“So,” he starts. “What are the things that called to you most?”

Junmyeon looks up, blinking.

“Oh,” he says in realisation, having caught up. “Oh… uh, I’m not sure. What would you recommend?”

“Well, what do you like?”

“Everything?”

Baekhyun laughs in frustration. “Junmyeon, you’re not helping here!”

“I’m not lying!” he says, now joining in, but it settles down as he begins to think. Baekhyun bites his bottom lip to hold his smile. “I like… nice things?” he offers. “Art and history type things. Pretty buildings. Nature?”

“So I can cross the water theme park off the list?”

“Yes,” Junmyeon laughs again. So fucking pretty. “Yes, you can.”

“Well… there’s a local gallery here only a quick drive away,” Baekhyun suggests. “And Bellney is one town over, it has an awesome gallery designated for supporting indigineous artists.”

“Oh.” Junmyeon’s mouth makes such a cute round shape when he’s surprised. “That sounds lovely.”

“Nature, though…” Baekhyun hums, mouth twisting. “Well, I guess you’ve already seen the beach.” Junmyeon laughs. “But there’s an awesome hike up around Chester’s seat. When you reach the top of the hill there’s a big waterfall that catches the light…” Baekhyun trails off, remembering going up there with his parents and grandma when he was just a boy, the water looking like it was made of diamonds as it sparkled. “...It’s really cool,” he finishes lamely, ducking into his shoulders and poking at the ice cream with his spoon in his iced coffee. “I know the big attraction around Chester’s Seat is to ride the gondola, but I think the walk is way more rewarding. You don’t get to be in the trees in the gondola, and you can’t see the water.”

Junmyeon nods, so attentive Baekhyun’s a little drunk on it. “That sounds amazing,” he says. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Baekhyun clears his throat. “You’re only here for the weekend but if you’ve got time, too, there’s another vineyard that actually has a sculpture park attached to it, it’s worth the trip and the wine is great. But don’t tell my boss I said that.”

Junmyeon laughs openly, and it swells Baekhyun’s chest. 

“I won’t,” he promises, eyes twinkling. “You know a lot about the area, though, you really are a local. How long have you been here?”

Baekhyun takes a moment, fiddles with his straw as he swirls the ice in the glass around and around.

“I grew up here,” he admits. “Small town bumpkin and all. I moved to the city for university, though.” The ice keeps spinning, around and around and around. “I got a job after but…” Baekhyun swallows. “It didn’t really work out. So I came back here and got a job at the vineyard through an old friend.”

He doesn’t mention the breakdown, or the house suddenly emptying out and Baekhyun’s family lawyer telling him that he’d inherited it, because Baekhyun understands oversharing and thinks Junmyeon probably doesn’t need to hear all that. 

“That makes sense,” Junmyeon says, after a moment of silence. Baekhyun hadn’t been brave enough to look anywhere other than his drink, but he does now, seeing nothing other than Junmyeon’s apt attention as always. Their eyes meet, and now Baekhyun can’t look away. “Your heart is here.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says, having to swallow around the tightness in his throat. He’s always had people listen to him, but he doesn’t know if he’s ever felt so heard. “I guess so.”

They part closer to noon, because Mongryong is so tired he’s nipping at Baekhyun’s fingers out of irritation when he tries to pat him and Baekhyun recognises the poor pup and his sore feet just wants to go home. As reluctant as he is to leave Junmyeon, at least it feels sort of reciprocated, as they stand outside the cafe and just. Stare at each other.

“Here,” Junmyeon reaches into his back pocket and pulls out the latest iPhone with the screen unlocked. “Maybe um, if you’re in the city sometime, we can get coffee again? I can give you recommendations.”

Baekhyun bites his bottom lip, but can feel the smile forming all the same. He takes the phone and types in his details. “You know I lived there for like, a decade, right?”

“Well I’ve lived there my whole life, so I win.” Junmyeon’s smile is childish but satisfied and Baekhyun likes it. He likes it more than he rationally should. 

“Only this round, Junmyeon,” Baekhyun replies slyly. 

“Thank you.” The sudden genuine tone catches Baekhyun off-guard. “For helping me, for being so kind.”

Baekhyun isn’t sure if it was kindness that made him help so much as it was a mix of selfish interest and pure unadulterated  _ thirst _ , but he doesn’t say that.

“No worries.” Baekhyun grins. “If you’re ever in town call me, yeah? Mongryong will want to sit by your feet again.”

“Of course,” Junmyeon agrees, eyes curved. “Anything for the King.”

They go their separate ways, Junmyeon one direction and Baekhyun the other, Mongryong held in his arms because he’s too exhausted to make the walk home on his little stubby legs. He feels his phone buzz in his pocket but Baekhyun can’t check it until he’s home and put Mongryong back on the ground, watching him trot to his water bowl and flop in his bed before pulling it out.

_ Now you have my number too. _

_ So we both win. _

Baekhyun smiles wider than he has in a very, very long time. 

  
  


Compared to the day before, walking Mongryong feels a little more disappointing on Sunday. It’s not like Baekhyun has his eye out for handsome men reading paperback novels on old beach towels like some sort of heroine in a bodice ripper but… he may have his eye out for handsome men reading paperback novels on old beach towels.

Sue him. Junmyeon is cute and funny, in a nerdy sort of way, and Baekhyun would be lying if he said he hadn’t been interested the moment he saw him at the wine tasting. There’s a curiosity behind it, and an excitement, and just… a pull. A pull Baekhyun can’t explain, not yet, but it’s tugging him forward, and he  _ wants _ to follow it. That’s amazing in itself.

“I’m a hopeless romantic, aren’t I?” Baekhyun asks Mongryong flopped in exhaustion beside him, whose only response is to roll onto his belly for scratches. Baekhyun sighs, unable to resist.

He walks to the grocery store on the way home, starts meal prepping for the week. It doesn’t consist of cute little containers and fun meals like it does online so much as it consists of one giant pot of pasta and Baekhyun loudly singing, but it’s nice. Even if he’ll be eating the same pasta sauce for a week at least it’s eating  _ something _ . It’s a special kind of self-care that Baekhyun is still getting used to, bit by bit.

His phone rings and displays his dad calling, which Baekhyun chooses to ignore as he packs the pasta away for the week, sparing a few containers for the freezer. He’ll just want to ask Baekhyun how he’s doing and try to convince him into selling the house again, which he won’t, and then they’ll argue and he’ll come up with an excuse to hang up so he can go feel frustrated alone. It sucks. Baekhyun’s mum is usually nicer and far less blunt, but he knows she shares his father’s views.

The phone lights up again even after Baekhyun lets the call go through and he groans, wondering if his dad will ever give up, but freezes in surprise when he sees it’s not his dad calling.

Baekhyun fumbles forward to pick up the phone, breathless.

“Hi,” he says. “How are you?”

“I-- good,” Junmyeon replies. Baekhyun chews on his lip, fingertips drumming on the kitchen counter. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” He laughs. “Did you get lost trying to find Chester’s Seat or something?”

“I-- no, well, not yet. I haven’t tried looking for it.” There’s a pause that stretches for a few seconds longer than Baekhyun thinks it should, but he doesn’t dare to break it. “That’s actually why I called. Did you… Do you… I mean…” Junmyeon clears his throat. “It’s dangerous to hike alone, I think.”

“Yes,” Baekhyun agrees wryly, grinning unabashedly to himself, thankful Junmyeon can’t see it. “I think so too.”

“So…”

“So…?”

“So… I was hoping you didn’t have plans,” Junmyeon finishes, “and that you’d like to join me?”

“Hmm,” Baekhyun hums in thought, just to drag it out. “I don’t know, Mongryong gets very lonely being home alone, but I’m sure I can spare an hour or two. Just, um-- I don’t have a car. Er, well, I  _ do _ have a car, but I can’t drive it.” He’s rambling, crap. “I’m rambling. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Junmyeon chuckles. “It’s cute.” Baekhyun feels like steam is coming out of his ears, like a kettle over-boiling on a stove. “I can pick you up if you’d like? Maybe… at the cafe again? So I don’t get lost.”

“Okay,” Baekhyun agrees. “Okay, sounds good.”

They arrange a time --a little over an hour from now-- and hang up reluctantly, and then Baekhyun squeezes his phone and holds it to his chest while Mongryong spins circles at his feet, sensing his sudden distress. It feels so random, and spontaneous, and  _ stupid _ , but it also feels fucking exciting, and it’s a feeling Baekhyun misses very much, so he chases it willingly.

He changes into something way hotter than yesterday --though he doesn’t need to shave, having done it this morning in naive hope. Skinny jeans and fashionable t-shirts probably aren’t great for hiking but Baekhyun refuses to look anything other than his best, fiddling with his hair in the mirror for ages until it looks that perfect amount of messily styled that he likes.

He grabs his keys and his wallet and his phone and double-steps off the porch to beeline it for the cafe, waiting by the corner of the store wall. He’s early in his eagerness, but that’s okay, it gives Baekhyun extra time to jitter on the spot and try to shake some of the nerves off. Why is he so nervous? He hadn’t felt nervous with Junmyeon yesterday --in fact, he feels so comfortable around Junmyeon it’s almost terrifying. Yet here he is. Nervous.

Junmyeon ends up being early too, parking across the street and getting out to wave at Baekhyun. He has a fucking BMW. Jesus christ.

“Oh my god,” Baekhyun remarks as he dashes over. “Nice car.” He whistles.

“Thank you?” Junmyeon sounds unsure.

“I didn’t think you’d get paid that much in the restaurant business.”

Junmyeon’s silence is telling. Baekhyun laughs.

“How did yesterday go?” he asks once they’re inside.

“Fine, fine… I went to the gallery you mentioned. It was great.” Junmyeon pulls up Google maps.

“What’re you doing?”

“What?”

“I can get us there!” Baekhyun insists. “You don’t need a GPS.”

“You said you don’t drive,” Junmyeon counters.

“I don’t, but I used to! C’mon.” Baekhyun pushes his hands down, and Junmyeon relents, melting under his touch. “Trust me.”

“...Fine,” he starts up the car, and Baekhyun gestures to the road ahead. “How was your Saturday night?”

“Oh you know, super rowdy, hit up all the clubs in town.” Junmyeon looks skeptical. “I’m joking. Mongryong and I hung out as I played PUBG for way too long. Turn left here.”

Junmyeon mentions having never played that game --or  _ any _ other games-- before, which starts Baekhyun on a long rant about how much he loves video games. Junmyeon’s gentle argument can be paraphrased by saying that he thinks video games are a waste of time, which riles Baekhyun up, but it isn’t… malicious, per se. It’s just kind of fun, they bicker, and Junmyeon’s quick temper kind of surprises Baekhyun considering how well-mannered and calm he usually is, but it’s cute. He gets so childish and petty so quickly. 

They reach Chester’s Seat with no detours, which gets a good  _ haha told you so _ out of Baekhyun that makes Junmyeon all snide. Laughing, Baekhyun wraps a hand around Junmyeon’s wrist and tugs him up the trail.

Except once they’re actually hiking Baekhyun remembers that he hates all forms of exercise, and Junmyeon looks like he hasn’t even broken a sweat with his hair perfectly in place and his breathing still even.

“I hate you,” Baekhyun wheezes, doubling over.

“You walk your dog every morning and can’t even make it up a little hill?” Junmyeon challenges, eyebrow raised. Baekhyun scoffs, charging ahead. He shoves Junmyeon a little. 

“Don’t be such a smug bastard.” Junmyeon laughs behind him, following. Baekhyun is pretending to be reluctant about Junmyeon’s confidence, but in reality it’s just really hot, which is worse than it being infuriating. Much worse.

“It’s getting you up there, isn’t it?”

Baekhyun chooses not to respond to that. Junmyeon just laughs harder.

They do reach the top, perhaps slower than they should have if Baekhyun didn’t have to stop and wheeze every five minutes while Junmyeon teased and laughed at him. He finally shuts up when the sound of rushing water cuts through the ambience of the forest, though, and they step out onto the viewing platform to see it come cascading down the cliffside.

“Wow,” Junmyeon remarks, looking up at the water, breathless. “Beautiful.”

“Thanks, I get that a lot.” 

Junmyeon rolls his eyes, then elbows Baekhyun, who laughs hard enough a few birds fly out of their nests. It’s so quiet here, so empty on the viewing platform, too many of the tourists caught up in the gondola to care about the hidden treasures within the bush. It’s not a huge waterfall by any means, in fact it isn’t much more than a stream, but it catches the sun glistening above and it turns the water gold, leaving rainbows in its wake.

“It… looks like diamonds or something.” Junmyeon laughs at his own cheesiness. “It’s beautiful. The whole walk was beautiful, really.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun agrees, looking at the way Junmyeon’s eyes curve as he smiles. “It was.” He bites his lip. “I can take a photo if you’d like. To remember this. You look like the type to have a very curated instagram profile.”

Junmyeon narrows his eyes. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing.” He holds up his phone and says. “Smile!”

He gets one just like that, of Junmyeon leaning against the railing rolling his arms, but snaps more as Junmyeon leans back and smiles, the waterfall a wall of shimmering diamonds behind him. Once Baekhyun thinks he’s taken enough, Junmyeon insists on flicking through them all one by one until he deems himself satisfied, telling Baekhyun to send them to him.

Baekhyun shakes his head, mumbling, “Uptight,” to himself.

“I heard that,” Junmyeon clips back. 

Baekhyun laughs, and feels rather than sees Junmyeon settle beside him as they lean against the railing, staring at the water. Baekhyun feels like he could watch it forever.

“I used to come here as a kid,” he admits. “With my family. It was like, an annual tradition. My grandma loved this place.” Junmyeon doesn’t say anything, but Baekhyun can feel his attention, like always. He laughs, filled with sudden nervous energy he needs to shake out. “I haven’t been here in years, though. I don’t get out much.”

“I can empathise.” Junmyeon hangs his hands over the edge of the railing, huffing in amusement. “It’s part of being old, I think.”

“Well at least I’m not as old as you,” Baekhyun reasons. That earns him another elbow.

They do leave, eventually, after Junmyeon holds a whole ass consulting session for potential instagram captions while Baekhyun chastises him for having his phone out when he should be living in the moment. That earns more exasperation, and they descend the seat together, with more laughing and banter involved. Baekhyun isn’t as exhausted walking downhill, which gives him more time to flirt with Junmyeon. Oh, he’s acknowledging that it’s flirting now. That’s not good.

In the car ride Baekhyun asks for the aux chord and is unused to not having to fight over it, with no snide remark about his lo-fi beats either. Junmyeon seems happy to listen to it, relaxed as Baekhyun easily directs him back to the cafe. It seems to end too quickly, the little blue store already coming into view.

“You know,” Baekhyun starts. “If you’ve got time, they’re open for dinner, too.”

Junmyeon winces, and the rejection hits Baekhyun like a bag of rocks.

“I’ve got to drive back…” he says.

“Oh.” Baekhyun withers. “That’s okay, really, it’s cool--” He opens the door. “I, um.”

“Baekhyun, it’s not you, I really have to drive back.” He reaches out to hold onto Baekhyun’s wrist to keep him in place, laughing a little. “I’ve got work tomorrow and it’s getting dark. I’ve had too much fun with you already, I need to go back to the real world.”

“Lame, but… understandable,” Baekhyun relents, smiling again. God he smiles around Junmyeon so much it’s  _ bad _ . “But… I had a lot of fun too. If you’re ever around again you should let me know.”

“Likewise.” Junmyeon’s grin is kind of ugly, and it just makes Baekhyun like him even more. Which is bad, because he shouldn’t like him this much to begin with. “Maybe I’ll convince my company we need to taste wine again.”

Baekhyun laughs. “Maybe.”

He gets out of the car with reluctance, and waves as Junmyeon drives away, watches until his lights disappear around the corner. It gets cool at night, so Baekhyun shivers a little, his breath fogging up under the streetlights as he heads home, waves sounding in the distance. Even though he has goosebumps, he feels so warm. It’s strange.

  
  
  
  
  


Work again after a weekend off always feels jarring, and Baekhyun doesn’t want to be the stereotype to hate mondays, but god does he hate mondays. He gets up extra early to walk Mongryong along the beach before Jongdae picks him up and they drive out to the vineyard, with Jongdae winning aux chord rights this round.

“How was your weekend anyway?” he asks as Beyonce blasts in the background.

“Good,” Baekhyun answers, genuine. “I bumped into a guy, from the restaurant wine tasting. We… hung out.”

“Really?” Jongdae seems shocked. “Which one?”

“Beige coat, wire glasses.”

“The pretentious looking one?” Baekhyun snorts, but agrees. “Damn. He was hot.”

“God, I know right? His name’s Junmyeon.” Baekhyun quickly recounts the whole thing, running into him at the beach and inviting him out to coffee, their hike the next day. Jongdae cackles.

“Wow,” he remarks. “You really had a whole ass romantic getaway weekend with a guy you just met. That’s love at first sight right there. I’m jealous.”

“Shut up.” Baekhyun pokes Jongdae. “You and Chanyeol are practically married. Junmyeon and I didn’t even kiss. It was only a little flirty, I don’t know. I’d be happy with just friends.”

“But do you  _ want _ just friends?”

Baekhyun chews on his bottom lip, watching the grape vines scroll by as they get out into the winery area.

“He lives in the city,” Baekhyun reasons. “It wouldn’t work.”

“Yeah well,” Jongdae muses. “You wouldn’t know unless you try, right?”

Baekhyun stays silent.

  
  
  
  


Work is work, as usual. Pretty quiet but not too bad, and involving a lot of Baekhyun pretending to like wine more than he does. He goes out for a smoke break and thinks about Junmyeon, withering a little. He’d been so easy to get along with, and they’d clicked in a way Baekhyun hasn’t felt in… months, years, maybe. It’s hard to tell. Time is foggy and blurred, the years mixed together in his mud-pie of a brain, but the last weekend feels as crystal clear as the water near the top of Chester’s Seat. 

Baekhyun stares out at the old cellar as he smokes.  _ I just don’t exactly fit in _ , he can hear Junmyeon saying in his mind, and wonders if two lonely people can ever come together to cure their problem.

“Boss man wants you back now,” Jongdae nags from the door.

“I’m coming I’m coming,” Baekhyun says, dusting off his pants as he hears Minseok say, “don’t call me that!” It makes him laugh, pulled back in with a smile by Jongdae. They’ve been friends since they were shitting their diapers and eating boogers, and Baekhyun loves Jongdae with all his heart. Loves Minseok. Loves working  _ here _ . 

But he doesn’t even like wine. So he knows it just isn’t right. He can laugh and joke around and fit in as much as he tries to, but it will never be... honest. 

  
  
  
  
  


The week passes quickly during daylight hours, but the nights feel slow. Each time he gets home Baekhyun dumps his bag at the door, eats a whole lot of pasta, and stares at an empty chat on his phone. The only thing he’s sent are pictures of Junmyeon, and he’s struggled how to start a conversation after that. It makes Baekhyun feel strange, once upon a time he was vibrant and outgoing and things like this was so…  _ easy _ . But then things piled up and life got heavier and Baekhyun started to stop getting up once he fell down, too attached to the safety of the ground.

Eventually, by Thursday, he decides on:  _ have you posted them yet? _

Junmyeon doesn’t reply instantly, so Baekhyun pretends he’s fine as he eats pasta and furiously watches commercial TV. He is an emotionally stable adult that doesn’t care if a cute boy doesn’t text back instantly. He’s probably working anyway!

_ Not yet _ , is Junmyeon’s eventual response. 

_ I didn’t get your insta.  _

_ To tag you. _

_ I’ve been meaning to ask. _

Baekhyun laughs. It’s somehow the most Junmyeon thing to say.

_ It’s baekhyuneee_0506. _

The instagram notification is instantaneous, which also makes Baekhyun laugh. It’s the picture of Junmyeon standing in front of the waterfall smiling normally, and then the one of him mid eye-roll. The caption is only the wave and sun emojis next to each other, with Baekhyun tagged in the top corner, but he’s so fucking endeared it’s insane. He’s the first to like the pic.

He comments:  _ wow you have a great photographer _ . Junmyeon responds with a thumbs up. 

_ Excellent choice of pics _ , he commends over text.  _ Very handsome _

_ Thank you _ , is Junmyeon’s response.  _ I know _ .

Baekhyun rolls his eyes.

  
  
  
  


“Don’t text while driving,” Jongdae scolds.

“Bitch I’m not driving, you are.” Baekhyun looks up. “The fuck?”

“Oh cool, I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.” He hits next song on his phone without even looking. Freak. “You didn’t even fight me over the aux chord, what’s wrong with you? Just how in love are you?”

“Shut  _ up _ ,” Baekhyun hisses, casually sending a keysmash in response to Junmyeon. “We’re not in love. We’re friends.”

“Friends that wanna fuck?” Jongdae clips. “Those kind of friends?” 

“We’ve only hung out like, that one weekend,” Baekhyun whines. “Leave me alone.”

“Yeah but I bet you wanted to bang him the moment you saw him at work.” Baekhyun stays silent. “Ha. Knew it.”

“You are literally the worst person I know…” But Baekhyun doesn’t get a chance to finish, because Junmyeon has sent through a fucking parapgraph, and the sudden anxiety at seeing so much text has him mute as his anxiety cranks up to the high heavens.

It’s nothing bad though, just Junmyeon explaining the rebranding of the new restaurant and how he wants to treat Baekhyun to a meal there this weekend while they’re trialling the new menu, but he knows it’s hard for Baekhyun to get there so he understands if he can’t but--

“Jongdae I love you,” Baekhyun blurts. “Did you know that? I love you so much.”

“I’m taken, and I’ve seen you try to suck your own dick and fail so bad you had to go to the ER, so even if I wasn’t I wouldn’t go there.” Asshole. But Baekhyun holds the anger in, fluttering his eyelashes. Jongdae glances over the console. “That’s a sudden change of heart, isn’t it? What did lover boy want?”

“As a friend,” Baekhyun prefaces. “I love you so much, you’re so good to me, I really--”

“Get to the point.”

“--Need you to drive me to Malburn station like, Friday night after work?”

Jongdae groans. “Hyun, it’s a Friday. Some of us have lives?”

“Ordering takeout and having missionary sex at nine pm is not having a life.”

“Sorry sorry-- how much sex will you be having at nine pm on Friday?” Baekhyun flushes. “None if I don’t drive you to the station.” 

“I hate you.” Baekhyun pouts. “It’s only like, half an hour!”

“Each way,” Jongdae whines. “And you’ll need me to pick you up too! That’s two hours of my life for your inept ass!”

“You say you’re my friend,” Baekhyun starts dramatically. “And you love and support me but you won’t even grant me this one favour… after all the years we’ve known each other--”

Jongdae groans, slamming his forehead against the wheel. Baekhyun smiles; jackpot. He’s always known Jongdae is too nice.

“Fine!” Jongdae relents. “Fucking fine I’ll do it. But just this once.” He points an accusatory finger at Baekhyun. “I am  _ not _ going to be the hinge holding your relationship with lover boy indefinitely. You will take the bus like a regular person or learn how to calm the fuck down behind the wheel.”

“The bus comes like, once a fucking year,” Baekhyun whines. “You’re so mean to me!”

“I’m trying to push the baby bird out of the nest,” Jongdae grumbles. “You owe me like, weeks of aux chord privilege for this.”

“You can have my first born if you’d like,” Baekhyun offers. “This really means a lot to me Jongdae, seriously.” 

Jongdae grumbles under his breath. “Yeah yeah, I’m a good friend and want to see you get dicked.” He squints at Baekhyun. “You  _ are _ gonna get dicked, right?” 

“Um… sure?” Baekhyun bites his bottom lip, and replies to Junmyeon with:  _ I’ll be there. _ It’ll take him two train rides and a fifteen minute walk to get there but… Baekhyun thinks he can do it. And he thinks it’s worth it too. “It’s… just dinner though.”

“At a fancy restaurant.”

“A fancy restaurant he works for.”

“Oh. Hmm.” Jongdae’s eyebrows furrow together in concentration. Baekhyun also frowns. “That’s a lot of mixed signals.”

“We’ve kind of been flirting,” Baekhyun muses. “Or maybe it’s just been me? I don’t know, he’s so polite and nice it’s hard to tell.” He’s beginning to panic. “God he hasn’t even made one gay joke the whole time we’ve been talking. What if he’s straight?”

“No,” Jongdae argues. “No! He was dressed too impeccably for that. I refuse to believe it.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” Baekhyun slumps in his chair, inhaling to calm himself. “A straight man could never coordinate colours like he does. It’s fine.” The worrying starts up again. “God what if he isn’t straight but he isn’t into me? What if this is a date but I fuck up and he doesn’t like me and--”

“Okay I feel like I’m about to have a panic attack just looking at you. Please calm down.” Jongdae shoots Baekhyun worried glances. “Just how long has it been since you’ve dated?”

“I… I don’t know… two years? Three?” Jongdae’s jaw drops. “What? I thought you knew.”

“I thought it had been like… six months,  _ max _ . Does your dick even work anymore?”

“No, only dust comes out.”

Jongdae makes a strangle sound. “I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.”

“Imagine how I feel!” Baekhyun holds his head and groans. “God this is stupid. I’m being  _ stupid _ . I barely even know him! I don’t need to put him on a pedestal.”

“Yeah but you’re willing to put down a two-and-a-half hour commute for him,” Jongdae points out. “That’s kind of intense.”

“Shut up.” Baekhyun curls up in his seat, clutching his phone. “I like him. More than I should. Is that stupid?”

“I don’t think we can control how we feel, Baekhyun,” Jongdae consoles. “If you really believe you two have clicked so well, then… go for it. This might be a once in a lifetime chance. Don’t let your overthinking ruin it for you.”

“You’re right.” Baekhyun nods to himself, exhaling. “Fuck it. I’m gonna try and get dicked.” His confidence withers. “Well it’s only the maybe-first date. At least kissed?”

“That’s the spirit!” Jongdae cheers. They both laugh, though Baekhyun’s tapers off when he sees Junmyeon’s response.

_ I can’t wait to see you  _ 🐰

Yeah. He’s totally fucked.

  
  
  
  
  


“Okay. Rate me on a scale one-to-ten.”

“Ehhhh like, an eight?” Chanyeol offers.

“Now rate Jongdae,” Baekhyun tells him. Chanyeol turns around to squint at Jongdae.

“Right now? Like… a four.”

Jongdae scoffs in disbelief. “The fuck?”

“Okay so I’m doing well. Good.” Baekhyun uses that to steady himself, ignoring the bickering beside him.

“Which one of us are you in love with exactly?”

“Babe he’s all dressed up and you’re wearing crusty sweatpants. I can see the pizza stain.”

“They’re comfortable!! They’re my friday night pants and you know it!!!” Jongdae groans. “I’m breaking up with you.”

“Yeah I bet you are.” Chanyeol pats Jongdae’s head condescendingly, like one might a small child. Jongdae frowns and crosses his arms over his chest. “Nervous?”

“No why would you say that?” Baekhyun asks, bouncing up and down.

“No… particular reason.”

Jongdae snorts. “At least he’s got a two hour ride to sort his shit out. Did you wear your dick appointment briefs?”

“Yes,  _ mum _ .”

“Dude if your mum asked if you were wearing your fuckable underwear I think you need to go to therapy,” Chanyeol points out.

“And you brought mints?”

“A fresh tin.”

“And condoms?”

“Yes Jongdae oh my god!” Baekhyun goes bright red while Jongdae laughs. “My train is coming. Goodbye assholes. Thanks for driving me.”

“Ha! He pretends he doesn’t put out on the first date but still brings condoms. Pfft.” Baekhyun turns to walk away. “Text us when you’re on your way back sweetie!” Jongdae calls while Baekhyun is still steaming in embarrassment. “Love you! Go get that cock!” 

_ I need new friends _ , Baekhyun texts Junmyeon once he’s on the train and settled, some of the nerves dissipating.

His response is  _ Tell me about it. _

  
  
  
  


The ride is long, but Baekhyun spends it listening to music, scrolling through Instagram, and playing League of Legends TFT on his phone. It’s okay though, Baekhyun kind of likes public transport. It’s good to clear his head and de-stress, knowing there’s not something  _ more _ to be done. He just hopes Mongryong will be okay on his own for a few more hours. Maybe Baekhyun should get another dog to keep him company.

Debating whether that will be too much work or not, he almost misses his stop, surprised when he stumbles out onto the platform near Junmyeon’s new restaurant. It’s not in the city centre, but it’s only a few suburbs out, and all the tall buildings and clutter just make Baekhyun a weird mix of nostalgic and dizzy. It’s strange to feel so unused to something so normal, but he is. He’s used to wide empty plots of lands and trees growing tall enough to touch the sky. The city just feels strangled and suffocated in comparison.

The restaurant is packed as Baekhyun walks in, every table full and waiters running around in stress. He approaches the front booth hesitantly, smiling at the pretty waitress asking how he’s doing.

“I’m uh, here for Junmyeon?” he offers. “I think we have a reservation…?”

“Ohhh so you’re his date for tonight.” The waitress winks and Baekhyun doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Is he his date? It’s his life’s biggest conundrum right now. “He’s just upstairs.”

There’s a covered balcony upstairs, which is where Junmyeon sits, scrolling through his phone. He looks up as Baekhyun approaches and smiles. 

“You made it.” He stands and they hug, squeezing. “How was your trip?”

“Good! Good… long but kinda nice?” Baekhyun greedily opens the menu laid out in front of him. “I’m starving though.”

“Well, order anything you’d like.” Baekhyun eyes the prices and gulps.

“How about I just stick to water?” He laughs nervously. 

“Don’t be silly. You came all the way out here, it’s my treat.” 

“Oh… are you sure?” Junmyeon glare is insistent, so Baekhyun gives up early. “Well… I don’t know. There’s so much to choose from.”

“There’s the banquet, if you’d like,” Junmyeon suggests. “It’s a little bit of everything.”

“That sounds good. If you’re happy I am?”

“Sure,” Junmyeon smiles. “I hope you don’t mind me picking the wine though, I feel the need to impress you.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen in realisation before he covers it up with a laugh that’s a little too nervous sounding.

“Impress me?” he teases. “And why’s that?”

“No particular reason.” Junmyeon’s finger taps along the edge of his menu. “I just like to win.” He smiles at Baekhyun secretively with his chin in his palm and Baekhyun thinks  _ GGGHFghbgGGGFDGFGdgdsfg????? _

The waitress comes back and chats amicably with Junmyeon --they obviously know each other-- he orders the banquet and a whole ass fucking bottle of wine. Baekhyun wants to cry, but Junmyeon is so rich and hot and fancy he’s reluctant to tell the truth. They met at a fucking wine tasting, of course Baekhyun can’t admit to this.

“So… is this your favourite of the restaurants you look after?” Baekhyun starts, fiddling with his napkin just to give his hands something to do before shoving them under the table. He’s at an adult dinner date, he can at least try to pretend to be mentally above the age of nineteen. 

“Hm… probably?” Junmyeon has his cute considerate face on, where his lips purse together. Baekhyun makes a strangled  _ hgngg _ noise that he covers up by clearing his throat. “I don’t know, I’m very close to the head chef here and we get along. But…” He shrugs, a little stiff. “All the restaurants have flaws.”

“Like?”

“Like… the way this whole company is.” Junmyeon rolls his eyes, but then shakes it off. “I don’t know. I shouldn’t get into it. Not here at least.”

Baekhyun eyes the waiters walking past, laughing. “Fair enough.”

The waitress from before brings their bottle up, and Junmyeon jokes about letting Baekhyun taste it, who says he doesn’t need to and they can just pour it. She pours a full fucking glass in front of him and Baekhyun thinks,  _ I want to die _ .

“I thought you didn’t like to drink,” Baekhyun points out, cradling the glass against his chest.

Junmyeon sighs. “I don’t like getting drunk, or the empty calories, but wine is so nice…”

Literally what planet are these people getting their tastebuds on. Seriously.

“Hahaha,” Baekhyun forces. “I guess.”

Junmyeon gives him a strange look, but the first course is brought out, distracting them. It’s a seemingly asian fusion restaurant, the kind that combines cuisines deliciously at the high price of exploitation and exoticism. But Baekhyun doesn’t get into that, because it tastes good and he isn’t paying for it, talking with Junmyeon instead. They catch up about work, get into an argument over a recent Netflix series, then laugh about it. It’s easy and it’s comfortable and Baekhyun doesn’t think too hard for even a second until he looks at his wine glass and realises it’s still full.

He forces himself to drink from it and disguises his wince, forcing down mouthful after mouthful to keep up with Junmyeon. First course turns to second turns to third and Baekhyun is so full he might burst but they keep going and going.

Eventually Baekhyun realises he’s kind of drunk off of fucking wine because he’s a lightweight and hopeless, but he also needs to pee.

“I’m gonna go pee,” he decides, standing up and going to the bathroom.

The world is a little more fuzzy than it should be, and Baekhyun sighs as he stares at his face in the mirror, rubbing his temples. Hopefully this wears off by the end of the dessert if he wants to get his dick  _ up _ for dickage time.

Okay he’s overreacting. They’re having a good time but… Baekhyun doesn’t know. Junmyeon doesn’t seem to make any attempt at flirting or anything, they just laugh and have fun but… in a way that friends could easily do. It’s so confusing. Baekhyun is pretty sure you don’t ask friends out to dinner but weirder things have happened? Junmyeon is so  _ confusing _ ; Baekhyun’s head hurts from too much wine.

Dessert is incredible, a mixture of fritters and a rice pudding brought out to them by the head chef himself towards the end of the night. He introduces himself as Kyungsoo and says he’s a longtime friend of Junmyeon.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” he says. “We call you ‘wine boy’ in the kitchen.”

Baekhyun laughs, but Junmyeon gets all cute and huffy and hits Kyungsoo.

“You’re embarrassing,” he whines.

“You do that plenty enough on your own, I’m sure Baekhyun is used to it.” He puts the dishes down. “Enjoy guys. I should get back to work. It was nice meeting you.”

“You too.” Baekhyun offers, chewing on his lip behind a smile as he watches Junmyeon huff. “You talk about me a lot huh?”

“No.” His response was a little  _ too _ fast. “Shut up.”

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun reassures, the smile splitting across his face now, albeit shyly. “I talk about you a lot too.”

Junmyeon perks up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” 

They share a knowing smile, but then a waiter comes around asking if they want tea or coffee. They decline, and happily dig into their desserts, Baekhyun moaning a little at the sweetness and the taste.

“Send my compliments to the chef,” he jokes to Junmyeon. 

“He does  _ not _ need a bigger ego.” 

Baekhyun laughs.

True to his word, Junmyeon does pay, and also offers to drive Baekhyun to the station, who agrees. The wine has worn off and left only a pleasant, lazy tipsiness that lets Baekhyun sing along to the radio, tasting the sugar still stuck behind his teeth. He feels so light and satisfied, and not from the food.

“Oh crap,” Baekhyun curses as they get out of the car. “The train isn’t coming for ages.”

“That’s okay, I’ll wait with you.” Junmyeon leans on the car hood. “I’m not in a rush.”

“Are you sure?” Baekhyun asks, chewing on his lip. Junmyeon nods.

“You came all the way here, it’s the least I could do…” He trails off, looking a little nervous as he stuffs his hands into his jacket pockets. “I’m really, really glad you came tonight, Baekhyun. I had a really good time.”

“Me too,” Baekhyun replies, turning to face Junmyeon as their eyes meet. “The food was so good. The company was even better.”

Junmyeon huffs at that, nudging Baekhyun who laughs.

“Really,” he starts. “I didn’t expect you to say yes. But I was so happy when you did. I know we haven’t known each other long but I feel like…”

“I know,” Baekhyun offers, letting his fingers walk a little over the hood of the car to rest on top of Junmyeon’s where they’re leaning against it, feeling brave. He bites his lip. “Me too.” Junmyeon looks down at the point of contact, but doesn’t pull away. Baekhyun’s breath hitches. “Junmyeon, there’s something I need to say…”

He looks up. “Yeah?”

“I…” Baekhyun tries, but his bravery is slipping out faster by the second and he’s so afraid. “I really…” Junmyeon looks both open and hesitant it just makes Baekhyun confused. It’s so warm where their fingers touch and so cold everywhere else. “...I really hate wine.”

Junmyeon blinks. “What?”

“I really hate wine,” Baekhyun blurts. “I need you to know that. Please don’t make me ever drink it again.”

“Wh--” He seems a little bit broken, glitching out. “You work at a vineyard?”

“And I hate it so fucking much,” Baekhyun whines. “Please don’t tell my boss. It’d break his heart.” 

A laugh startles out of Junmyeon, so sudden he has to cover it with his hands. It just makes Baekhyun grin. 

“Why are you telling me this now?!” he asks, incredulous. “Why not a whole bottle ago? Why didn’t you just say something?” He keeps laughingl.

“I don’t know??? Because you’re hot and fancy and I felt awkward????? I didn’t want to disappoint you.” Baekhyun swallows, fingers curling a little, on top of Junmyeon’s. “But I also… I also don’t feel the need to lie around you. I wanted you to know the truth.” He swallows, nervous. “I… I’m out of practice with the whole… everything.” His eyebrows furrow together, still unsure if he can say  _ dating _ . “But I know that pretending to be someone I’m not won’t get me anywhere, so there. Take it or leave it; I’m a wine-hater.”

“I…” Junmyeon is speechless, a mix of disbelief and amusement. “As ridiculous as it is, I think I’ll have to take it. I’m sure we can work something out.” His fingers tangle with Baekhyun’s.

“Good.” Now Baekhyun is smiling again. “Something, huh?”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon agrees. “Something.”

The kiss is sweet and soft, and Baekhyun sighs into it, toes curling against the gravel where they’re leaning on Junmyeon’s fancy car. It deepens a little bit, and Baekhyun wraps a hand around the back of Junmyeon’s neck, pulling him closer but not enough. Fuck his dick is already getting hard, he’s hornier than he thought just from being near Junmyeon, seeing him, smelling him, touching him, tasting him. Baekhyun is greedy and still wants  _ more _ .

They pull back, and Baekhyun is flushed and panting despite the lack of exertion from such a simple kiss. Junmyeon takes him in hungrily, leaning in for a deeper kiss that involves more desperation and a whole lot more tongue. Baekhyun feels drunker than he had after three glasses of wine.

The sharp blare of a horn pulls them out of it, and Baekhyun stumbles.

“Fuck!” The train approaches the platform. “I-- I gotta go but--”

“I’ll call you,” Junmyeon promises, squeezing Baekhyun’s fingers and refusing to let go. “Promise.”

It fills Baekhyun with pride, and he sprints to the train just to hide his huge grin, touching his e-ticket to the reader and jumping on just as the doors close shut behind him. He leans against the door and presses his fingers to his lips, smiling under his hand. He glimpses out the train window and sees Junmyeon still leaning against his car, doing much the same. The train blares its horn again, and starts moving. Baekhyun sighs against the door like a lovesick schoolboy.

He messages Jongdae to let him know he’s on his way back and will text again once he’s forty minutes from the last stop. Jongdae sends back ‘🍆😢?’ Baekhyun shakes his head before replying with,  _ dick appointment undies wasted, but lips did not go untouched _ .

Jongdae sends  _ better than nothing! _

Baekhyun is ready to put his phone away, but it buzzes again, startling him. It’s a text from Junmyeon.

_ The only reason I didn’t invite you back to mine is because it’s a mess and I haven’t cleaned up for you. _

_ Yet. _

Baekhyun nearly faints.

  
  
  
  
  


Having kissed Junmyeon apparently makes him more unbearable over text, because his flirting is unabashed and confident now that he’s sure Baekhyun reciprocates his feelings. It drives Baekhyun a little crazy, he’s so used to being the one doing the teasing and flirting but Junmyeon can call him  _ pretty  _ one time and he’s bright red for hours. It’s making him shit at his job.

“I like him  _ so _ much,” Baekhyun whines to Jongdae on their lunch break.

“I know, and it’s disgusting.” Jongdae jabs Baekhyun’s moping face away with his fork. “You really need to get dicked. I think your horniness is affecting you negatively.”

“Shut up.” Baekhyun pouts. “I want him for more than just… that…” He pulls a face.

“Yeah I know, but the distance plus the UST is not helping,” Jongdae points out. He’s… probably right. All their flirting over text does is rile Baekhyun up --he’d thought about Junmyeon in the shower that morning and came so hard it hit the wall beyond the water and he’d had to wipe it off. Humiliating.

“Maybe,” Baekhyun relents. Jongdae is just smiling at him. “What?”

“I dunno it’s just… nice to see you like this,” he says, so genuine it catches Baekhyun off-guard. “Like… trying, again. You’ve seemed happier lately and I think putting yourself out there is proof.”

Baekhyun feels like he might combust, so he says, “I’m gonna go smoke.”

Jongdae laughs. “You can’t run away from me every time we show each other genuine emotions Baekhyun!” 

Baekhyun ignores him.

  
  
  
  


The weekend comes with relief, and Baekhyun is bored and lonely on a Friday night, remembering how this time last week he and Junmyeon were together… it almost seems tempting to catch the bus and do the whole commute just to see him again, shove him against the wall, and have sex for the next two days. As spontaneous and hot as it seems, Baekhyun thinks it’s probably a bit unrealistic.

His phone buzzes with a text from Junmyeon.

_ What are you doing tonight? _

_ Nothing _ , Baekhyun responds honestly, then adds.  _ Just thinking about you _ . He can imagine the way Junmyeon rolls his eyes, and giggles.  _ What’re you up to? _

_ Out to dinner with my brother _ , Junmyeon says.  _ He proposed to his girlfriend _ .

_ Wow! _ Baekhyun isn’t too shocked --Junmyeon mentioned he’d been planning it for a while.  _ I’m guessing she said yes? That’s great _ .

He sees the little chat bubble pop up and disappear over and over again until his phone rings with a call from Junmyeon.

“Sorry,” is the first thing he says. “Texting under the table was too hard. I thought I’d get away for a moment.”

Baekhyun laughs. “That bad huh?”

“I’m happy for them, I am,” Junmyeon insists. “I knew she’d say yes and she’ll make a great sister-in-law, but…” He pauses. “...If one more person tells me I’m next I might have to jump off this balcony.”

Baekhyun laughs, though maybe he shouldn’t. He falls back onto the couch with his phone against his ear, staring at his ceiling.

“Too much pressure, huh?” Junmyeon grunts in assent. “I can relate. Being thirty and single really is a scandal of the century.”

Junmyeon’s sigh is long-suffering. “Tell me about it.”

“So are you the best man like you thought you’d be?”

“Yeah…”

“When’s the wedding?”

“They’re talking next year sometime,” Junmyeon answers. “Apparently winter is cheapest, but they’re worried about it being too cold.” Baekhyun snorts. “What?”

“Nothing just-- it sounds so trivial.” He picks at the seam of the couch cushions. “I remember being a kid and thinking I couldn’t wait to get married and have children…”

“And now?”

“Now?” Baekhyun sits up, frowning in contemplation. “Now it feels like the last thing on my mind. When you’re little everyone makes it out to be the most important thing in the world but… I know now that it isn’t. Isn’t even close.”

There’s a moment of silence, and then Junmyeon laughs, surprising Baekhyun. “Thank you, Baekhyun.”

“Huh? What for?”

“I needed to hear that,” Junmyeon says, voice soft. Baekhyun squeezes his eyes shut and tries to slow his heart, imagines Junmyeon leaning on the balcony railing of some fancy high rise restaurant, staring out at the sky and thinking about Baekhyun too. It doesn’t help. “I think, sometimes, I spend so long trying to change myself to please other people, I forget what really matters to me and not them.”

“I get that,” Baekhyun replies, and his heart gets tighter and tighter still. “I really do.”

Junmyeon chuckles. “I’m sure you do, wine-lover.”

Baekhyun groans. “I regret telling you that.”

“You picked such a strange moment too!” Junmyeon is laughing at him, but Baekhyun doesn’t really mind. “I was so ready to kiss you and you just go and say that.” 

“It was gay panic!” Baekhyun argues, and Junmyeon keeps laughing. “Plus, I wanted you to know!” 

“And I’m glad you told me,” Junmyeon says, voice fond and amused in ways that makes Baekhyun warm. “That’s one gift I know to never buy you.” Baekhyun laughs, but there’s voices on the other end and a muffled conversation as Junmyeon puts his hand over the receiver. It crinkles with static, but Baekhyun waits. “I guess I should head back inside.”

“Lame,” Baekhyun whines, hearing Junmyeon’s quiet hum and memorising the sound. 

“I’ll see you again soon, okay?” Junmyeon says. “Promise.”

“Yeah?” Baekhyun goads. If Junmyeon asked him to get on a train right now, he would, and Baekhyun is scared of the fact that that  _ doesn’t  _ scare him.

“Yeah.” He hears Junmyeon swallow. “Goodnight, Baekhyun. Sleep well.”

“You too. Enjoy your night.”

The sound of the call ending just makes Baekhyun depressed. He groans and picks up a couch cushion, smushing it against his face. He can’t remember the last time he’d ever liked someone so much and so quickly too --can’t remember if it’s ever happened at all.

It’s somehow scary and isn’t all at once, because Jongdae is right --Baekhyun has been happier. Ever since he quit his old job and moved out here, things have just been… better. And the fact that he even has enough confidence to approach Junmyeon on the beach that first day… it speaks bounds about his growth. And that makes him happier in itself.

  
  
  
  
  


Phone calls between them become semi-regular, because Junmyeon apparently hates texting when he can call Baekhyun instead late at night after he’s washed his face all curled up in bed, lying on the pillow just listening to Junmyeon talk.

“So what are you doing today?” Junmyeon asks. It’s Sunday, and it’s been two weeks since they kissed. Nothing has happened since. Baekhyun keeps trying to come up with some sort of excuse to get on a train to see Junmyeon again but it’s hard. He doesn’t want to invite himself.

“Nothing much, I already walked Mongryong so I’ll just cook for the week.” Baekhyun opens his fridge as he says it, makes a list for the grocery store on the notepad magnetically attached to the door. “What are you doing?”

“More family wedding planning, my brother wants my help hunting venues. Then I’ll probably order pizza and watch a movie.”

“Oooh sexy,” Baekhyun teases, making Junmyeon laugh.

“Should I have said something even sexier?” he teases. “Like how I’m not wearing any underwear right now and I can’t stop thinking about you?”

He says it in a joking manner, but Baekhyun still flushes and feels his brain break a little bit.

“Maybe,” he says coyly, relieved that Junmyeon can’t see how red he is.

“Well, I am wearing underwear unfortunately,” Junmyeon replies, a little rustle of static as he moves. “But I definitely can’t stop thinking about you.”

Like the mature thirty year-old he is, Baekhyun says, “That’s kind of gay.”

“I think we’re long passed that point.” Junmyeon laughs. “Do you think about me too?”

The sudden change makes Baekhyun stutter. “I-- stop that!”

“Stop what?”

“Flirting with me. You’re terrible!” Baekhyun feels like he needs to shove his face into a bucket of ice just to cool it down.

“He can dish it out but he can’t take it,” Junmyeon teases, making Baekhyun huff. Baekhyun doesn’t know how to explain that it’s just Junmyeon, really, who makes him feel like this. All flustered and wound up at all the smallest things. So he doesn’t. “Are you wearing underwear too?”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Baekhyun hisses, which only makes Junmyeon laugh. “I’m never having phone sex with you now.”

“That’s okay,” Junmyeon says. “I think if I had to hear what you’re like before having touched you myself I’d go crazy.” 

Baekhyun’s only response to that is a broken, tiny, “Eep.” 

Junmyeon snorts. 

“You are surprisingly awful,” Baekhyun manages, voice still a little broken. Whole brain broken. Baekhyun’s head is empty and playing what Junmyeon had said on loop.

“And you’re surprisingly easy,” Junmyeon teases. “Are you working this Friday?” 

The nonsequitur catches Baekhyun off-guard. “Yeah, why?”

“I think my brother and his fiance want to look at venues in the area, all the vineyards and stuff.” Baekhyun blinks, once twice. “So… I may as well make another trip out of it. That’s all.” 

“Oh,” Baekhyun says, trying to come out nonchalant and casual but definitely coming across as not much more than a squeak. “That sounds fun?” 

“Well it’s not set in stone yet, but I could use the day off…” Junmyeon trails off. “Just something to think about.”

“Well I am. Definitely doing that,” Baekhyun rambles. “Thinking.”

“Glad to hear it.” He likes to think he can hear Junmyeon’s smile, closes his eyes and imagines the shape of it on his handsome face. Junmyeon sighs. “I should get ready to meet my brother.”

“I should do my groceries,” Baekhyun counters, but neither of them move. He just stands there, leaning against the kitchen counter, chewing on his lip.

Eventually Junmyeon laughs, and the moment breaks. “Bye, Baekhyun. Hopefully we can see each other soon.

“Yeah.” Baekhyun swallows. “Bye, Junmyeon.”

They hang up, and Baekhyun has to focus on breathing a few times just to ground himself, readjust to the silence. Mongryong paws at his ankle, upset he’s not being pat. 

“You and me both buddy,” Baekhyun mumbles, and heads out to finish his errands for the day.

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun gets confirmation that Junmyeon’s plans are coming to fruition on Thursday, when he says his leave for the next day got approved so he’ll definitely be joining his brother, his fiance and her maid of honor. Baekhyun doesn’t even know how to reply, half-elated, half-confused. Junmyeon had made it pretty clear he wanted to make another weekend out of it, but does that mean he wants to stay at Baekhyun's house? Should Baekhyun invite him? He has guest rooms, but would saying that accidentally seem too presumptuous or not presumptuous enough?

"Can you like, take a xanax?"

Baekhyun pauses. "Do those even exist here?"

"I don't know, I've never been freaked out enough to look into it." Jongdae eyes the way Baekhyun furiously wipes his sweaty palms on his apron. "I feel like you of all people should know the answer."

"...I don't think we do?" Baekhyun offers. "I dunno man I've been offered like a thousand drugs, not all of them by doctors."

Jongdae snorts at the exact same time Minseok walks into the room, gives Baekhyun a concerned look, then walks out shaking his head. Baekhyun facepalms with very sweaty hands.

"The point is you're overreacting," Jongdae clarifies. "He said he was coming, right?"

"Yeah but it's been radio silence since I asked when and what…" Baekhyun wrings his wrists, then sighs. "God, I'm really hopeless aren't I?'

"Yeah and the sky is blue." Jongdae gives Baekhyun a consoling shoulder pat. "He's probably driving. I'm sure he'll update you when be can."

"Yeah…" Baekhyun frowns, still feeling for his phone in his back pocket. It hasn't buzzed since last night's goodnight text. Baekhyun had tried to remain calm and aloof by not asking Junmyeon his plans until driving to work this morning. Obviously his anxiety thinks that's a mistake.

"Oh my god," Baekhyun blurts. "What if he's dead--"

"Okay that's it," Jongdae says, pushing Baekhyun forward by his shoulders. "Mandatory smoke break. Calm the fuck down."

Jongdae pushes him out the back door and slams it shut.

"I don't even have my cigarettes?" Baekhyun calls. Moments later, the door opens a crack and his bag is tossed through. Baekhyun huffs through his nose, but Jongdae knows him best. The ritual of rolling helps soothe Baekhyun's nerves, and gives him space to think. He begins to recognise that his anxiety is only a manifestation of his excitement, because the thought of seeing Junmyeon again bubbles up inside him like butterflies emerging from cocoons in his stomach. 

Part of Baekhyun tells himself he’s an adult, and he should long be past the giddy phase. The rest of him just presses into his feelings like a bruise, wanting to feel the sting. He’s spent so much of his life suspended in numbness, living his life out like a puppet on strings, choreographed by somebody else. Knowing he can feel again --and then  _ feeling _ \-- it’s terrifying… but it’s also exhilarating. Freeing.

Baekhyun smokes the dart down, then heads back inside, dumping his bag back in the staff room and smiling as new customers walk in. Friday is usually decently busy, but not nearly as bad as weekends --something Baekhyun rarely works, thank god-- so it seems like Jongdae and some of the other staff have a good handle on it. 

So Baekhyun busies himself with a little bit of restocking and neatening the displays and the shelves since the bottles have been depleted, hearing the glass doors slide open and turning around to greet the new guests only to completely pause in place.

“Junmyeon?” Baekhyun blurts.

“Hello again.” He smiles. God it’s only been a few weeks, but Baekhyun swears Junmyeon gets more handsome each time. It’s warmer today, and he’s not with work, so he’s dressed somewhere in between casual and smart in a way Baekhyun hasn’t seen from him, making his throat dry. His jeans are rolled up to display cutely patterned socks, the colour scheme of which matches his shirt beneath his leather jacket. It’s so effortlessly coordinated Baekhyun almost wants to laugh that he’d once thought Junmyeon might’ve been straight. “I hope you don’t mind I came back and brought family with me this time.” 

Baekhyun is confused for a second, at Junmyeon’s polite tone and over-formality. When he cocks an eyebrow Junmyeon only smiles though, so Baekhyun plays along.

“No that’s fine, it’s good to see you again.” He smiles at Junmyeon’s family over his shoulder. His brother and his fiance, her maid of honor, Yoona. Is he meant to pretend he doesn’t know who they are? “Were we after a tasting today?”

“Yes please, all four of us.” Baekhyun leads Junmyeon to the bar top and goes through the motions of setting down four glasses, pushing a list up onto the marble and explaining the order he’ll go through. As he pours he starts up smalltalk, finds out about the wedding and congratulates them, catches Junmyeon smiling into his wine glass as he swallows, unsure of why they’re playing this game but enjoying it nonetheless. 

The standard wine tasting for guests is only five wines --sparkling, two whites and two reds, a smaller variety since they’re not a huge vineyard-- but Baekhyun offers to switch any of them out for another if they have certain tastes. The red on the list is the old shiraz, but Minseok’s been pushing the latest batch, trying to have them swing it as treating their customers specially when in reality they should all be switching it. But Baekhyun is generally nice to customers whether he’s sort of seeing them or not, and Minseok is happy so long as wine is enjoyed and sold. He can swap any of them out for anything --as long as they stick to five, it’s fine.

Baekhyun is explaining as much as he pulls out a few extra bottles of white, giving them a choice between a sauvignon blanc and a pinot grigio, or asking if they’d prefer a sweeter riesling.

Which is when Junmyeon says, “Which one is your favourite?”

The question  _ would _ be harmless, from anyone else’s mouth. It causes Baekhyun to derail for a moment, staring at Junmyeon’s innocent smile. It twitches at the corner, flickering with his amusement. 

Bastard.

“I actually prefer our chardonnay,” Baekhyun smoothly answers --a practiced one, of course. “It’s gorgeous. Very buttery but not too sweet. I think I have a bottle open in the fridge if you’d like to try it?”

“That sounds great,” Junmyeon replies, smile widening. Baekhyun sends him a quick look before ducking down to the minifridge beneath the bar.

The rest of the tasting proceeds like this --Junmyeon with a thousand and one questions while Baekhyun answers all of them with a smile. His family almost look a little horrified with how much wine knowledge Junmyeon has, and the deeper they get into it the more Baekhyun begins to feel he’s losing.

“So would you suggest the shiraz or the malbec?”

“I prefer the shiraz,” Baekhyun lies. “It’s less tannic but still quite full-bodied. The malbec is much better with food.”

“But the last time I had your shiraz it was lighter than the malbec,” Junmyeon says. Baekhyun panics. Fuck, is it? He doesn’t know, he can’t taste it, and he’s pretty sure he’s memorised the differences between all of them but sometimes he can slip up and have them the wrong way around… “I’m surprised. Since you said you prefer lighter wines earlier with the whites.”

Baekhyun laughs stiffly. “Well,” he says, swallowing. “What can I say? I’m inconsistent, and our wines are too good to turn down.” They all laugh at that, and Baekhyun smoothly pours the shiraz as they do, swiftly changing the topics to the flavours in the wine and pretending like he hadn’t read them off the bottle’s label before he’d poured. 

Watching Junmyeon taste is amusing, if only because Baekhyun hadn’t needed to teach him a thing on how to do it. He holds the glass correctly, swirls it the right way, lets it sit on his palette and inhales all in the right order because of  _ course _ he does, meanwhile Baekhyun has had to explain it to his brother more times than he can count. 

As they compliment the shiraz, Baekhyun says, “So are we the first in the family to get married?”

“Yes,” Junmyeon’s brother responds, squeezing his fiance’s hand. “Paving the way for my little brother.”

Junmyeon hums with a slight panicked smile before downing more wine.

“Oh? Well you two seem very close in age. Can’t be too far behind right?” Baekhyun teases. If Junmyeon is going to make his life a living hell then he ought to remember two can play at that game. 

“He’s got to find someone first,” his brother jokes, slapping Junmyeon’s shoulder and making his smile crack a little.

“Truth be told I think he has someone,” Yoona pipes in. “He’s just not telling us about them yet.” 

“Oh?” Baekhyun arches an eyebrow teasingly, enjoying the way Junmyeon pulls at his collar uncomfortably. “A secret someone, hm?” 

“I told you that in confidence,” he hisses at Yoona, who only laughs.

“Sorry~ wine makes me a truth-sayer.” She doesn’t sound apologetic. 

Baekhyun laughs politely. “Well that’s a shame. Someone as handsome as you, off the market.” He smiles with his tongue between his teeth. “Whoever it is must be very lucky.”

Junmyeon clears his throat, red in the face, and Baekhyun believes he’s experienced a new kind of satisfaction, better than garlic bread or good sex. 

“Yes, well.” Junmyeon tugs at his collar again. “Which of these are for sale again?”

His family laughs, but Baekhyun just answers the question, going through the list. Minseok sidles his way into the conversation as he passes, recognising Junmyeon from the first tasting and asking about the restaurant. It turns to the upcoming wedding and engagement, and Junmyeon excuses himself to use the bathroom, giving Baekhyun a lingering look before slipping away. Baekhyun is pretty sure Minseok has a handle on the business as he leads the group away to the displays, so he slips away too, tells Jongdae to get him outside if they need him for anything. Jongdae, who had evidently been watching Baekhyun’s circus performance given by his knowing smirk, simply nods and shoos him away.

Outside, Junmyeon is leaning against the back wall, unlit cigarette between his fingers in contemplation.

“I thought you might be here,” Baekhyun says, stepping down the few concrete steps to lean against the wall with his hands behind his back. “Sorry. Was that too much marriage talk for you?”

Junmyeon laughs, shaking his head. “No, that was only fair.” 

“Fair huh?” Baekhyun arches an eyebrow. “And what  _ was _ that, exactly?” 

“Well I wanted to mess with you,” Junmyeon replies. “Obviously.”

“ _ Obviously _ ,” Baekhyun mocks.

Junmyeon is still smiling. “But I thought it would be inappropriate to play meet the family at work. And a tad too soon.” He reaches out then, steps closer, and Baekhyun feels his hands fall to his side on instinct as Junmyeon curls his fingers over Baekhyun’s. “But I wanted to see you.” Baekhyun’s breath hitches. “...Plus this is a great winery.” 

"Ass." Baekhyun pokes Junmyeon's side, who laughs. Junmyeon only catches his hand mid-poke and interlaces their fingers, making Baekhyun flush, then splutter. "I'm at work!" 

"Sorry--" Junmyeon quickly pulls his hand away. 

"Very inappropriate of you," Baekhyun chastises. "You naughty boy."

What embarrassment Junmyeon had quickly changes to exasperation, giving Baekhyun a long-suffering look that makes him burst into laughter. 

“And what time will you stop being at work?” Junmyeon asks. “After this we’re going out to lunch, but Yoona’s heading home for work and the rest of the wedding party are going further east to look at more venues. I got a room not too far from here, though...”

Baekhyun arches an eyebrow, but says, “I’ll probably be done around five, home closer to six.” He bites his lip then, wondering. “Did you want to get dinner?”

The relief in Junmyeon’s smile is evident. “Yes,” he answers. “That’d be lovely.”

“We can meet at the cafe again, then?” Baekhyun offers. The first time had been out of easier directions and stranger danger, but now he thinks if Junmyeon gets anywhere near his bed Baekhyun won’t end up having food for dinner. “I have a few ideas around the area.”

“That sounds great. Six-thirty?” Baekhyun nods, plenty of time to get way hotter before he sees Junmyeon. He reaches out to squeeze Baekhyun’s hands again. “It’s a date, then.”

Baekhyun nearly says,  _ is it? _ But Junmyeon quickly leans forward to kiss his cheek and all rational thought goes out the window, ears bright red. God this is ridiculous, why is he so incapable of handling Junmyeon’s affection like this.

Junmyeon pulls back with an almost-shy smile, but Baekhyun pushes forward to chase him and kiss him again. His responding sigh is instantaneous, soft with pleasure. The kiss is brief, but leaves Baekhyun’s lips tingling all the same. He squeezes Junmyeon’s fingers; god he can’t wait to do more of that later.

A wolf-whistle pulls them apart, Jongdae leaning in the doorway.

“Your family’s looking for your opinion on what wines to buy,” Jongdae tells Junmyeon. “Figured you might want the heads up before they start hunting you down themselves.”

Junmyeon clears his throat. “Ah. Yes. Thank you.” He gives Baekhyun a lingering look before dashing past Jongdae back inside, adjusting his collar as he does so. Baekhyun glares at Jongdae.

“How long were you standing there?”

“Long enough.” He grins.

“Pervert,” Baekhyun mumbles, but heads back inside too.

Junmyeon’s brother ends up buying half a dozen bottles, a transaction that makes Minseok very happy, and then they’re saying their thank yous and farewells and heading off to go to lunch at a well-known restaurant a short drive away. Baekhyun watches them go with a wistful sigh, mouth still tingling and toes curled in his shoes. As a side note, Junmyeon’s jeans are very well-fitted in  _ all _ areas.

“Hate to see him go but love to watch him leave huh?” Jongdae teases. Baekhyun whacks him without even looking.   
  


  
  
  
  


Baekhyun insists Jongdae floor it to get home, but Jongdae claims he’s a ‘responsible driver’ --whatever  _ that _ means-- and gets Baekhyun home at about 5:45, as usual. It’s a rush then for Baekhyun to shower and blow-dry his hair and pick out an outfit, throwing every good item of clothing on the bed and deliberating which to put on until it’s 6:15 and he should leave again. Fuck.

Knowing how well-dressed Junmyeon is constantly only makes Baekhyun nervous, but he thinks he looks good enough in his simple jeans and sweater as he heads out, furiously fiddling with his hair. He feeds Mongryong just before he goes, hopes that enough to keep him happy as he spends the night alone. Or at least some of it. Baekhyun’s sweating before he’s even mid-way through his walk. Was bringing the condoms too bold?

He’s there by 6:30, but so is Junmyeon, leaning on the hood of his car on his phone in the same outfit from the day. Baekhyun calls his name; Junmyeon looks up and smiles. 

“Hi,” he greets. “How are y--”

Baekhyun doesn’t even give him a chance to finish his response, just grips Junmyeon by the back of his neck and pulls him in for a hungry kiss. He makes a muffled sound at first, but then melts into it, the kiss heated in ways Baekhyun hadn’t really intended for it to be but maybe should’ve expected. Apparently he’s a little keyed up from earlier.

“Fuck,” Baekhyun pants, leaning back in to scrape his teeth over Junmyeon’s bottom lip and make him moan. “I’ve been thinking about this all fucking day. All  _ week _ .” 

“Me too,” Junmyeon breathes out, and his hands fist themselves into Baekhyun’s sweater to pull him in for more. Baekhyun makes an embarrassing noise somewhere between a whine and a whimper. Junmyeon is so good at kissing it should be a crime. He pulls back and laughs. “We-- we need to stop or we’ll never eat.” 

“I can’t believe you’re saying that when you have a whole snack right here.” Baekhyun gestures to himself. Junmyeon rolls his eyes, but it helps to alleviate some of the tension pulled taut in the air. Obviously, distance and space apart is doing nothing for anyone. Baekhyun snorts and pulls back, leaning on the car and subtly tugging down his sweater as he adjusts. Junmyeon’s mouth is a little more pink and swollen, and it’s giving him a different hunger. “Okay uh-- what do you feel like?”

“Anything.” Junmyeon shrugs. “What’s the specialty around here?”

“Nothing.” Baekhyun giggles. “It’s kind of a mix and match of everything but uh-- I dunno. We can just get fish and chips and sit on the beach or something? The sun’s about to set. Lots of good picture opportunities.” 

Junmyeon huffs at the subtle insult, but agrees, and Baekhyun leads him down the road to the best fish shop in town. It’s all fresh and locally caught, but he still gives Junmyeon a dirty look when he gets his fish grilled instead of battered. Lame. 

It’s a short walk to the beach, but still good for catching up. Junmyeon talks about lunch and the little bit of venue-shopping they did throughout the rest of the day, as well as another vineyard they’d attended. He seems tired just talking about it.

“That sounds like a lot for someone taking the day off,” Baekhyun points out, concerned. He shoves a handful of hot chips into his mouth after saying it.

Junmyeon shrugs. He even eats chips delicately, careful to avoid getting the salt and grease around his lips, but he chews with his mouth open. Truly nobody’s perfect. 

“I guess.”

Baekhyun swallows down the hot potato, burning his throat a little in the process. “Are you sure you want to do even more socialising?”

Junmyeon pauses at that, then turns to look at Baekhyun a little quizzically. He feels transparent and observed, and it makes him squirm. 

“It’s different when it’s you,” Junmyeon admits. “I don’t have to… pretend, I suppose.”

Baekhyun relaxes at the reassurance, and wriggles his thigh so he’s sitting a little closer to Junmyeon, their respective meals boxed on their laps. He hadn’t brought a towel or anything, so they’re sitting above the sand, on the edge of the sidewalk where the concrete runs above it, feet dangling. 

“I just don’t want you to feel pressured or anything,” Baekhyun says softly. Junmyeon laughs, a half-repressed, ugly noise that gurgles in the back of his throat. “What?”

“I want to see you so badly and so often it’s like I pressure myself into  _ not  _ leaving work and just driving down,” he says, then stammers a little. “I-- sorry, I probably shouldn’t have said that--” 

“No.” Baekhyun curls greasy fingers around Junmyeon’s wrist. “You can be honest around me. I feel the same.”

“I know.” Junmyeon’s laugh is a little shaky. “And it’s terrifying.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun agrees. “It is.”

“Sometimes, it’s just…” Junmyeon wriggles a little, face contorted in thought. Everything he says is always so well thought-out, Baekhyun and his lack of brain-to-mouth filter feels a little inferior. “...Work is so hard, and when I’m not at work I’m dealing with family or friends and all their drama, but then…” He trails off, stares out at the water. The setting sun casts his face in a warm halo. He’s beautiful, and it’s not the first time Baekhyun has thought it --and certainly won’t be the last-- but it’s a memory he can feel himself grabbing onto, bottling it up to save for later, filling his chest with warmth. “...Then… I don’t know. I suppose you’re good at making worries go away.” 

“Am I?” Baekhyun blurts, genuinely surprised. Some days it feels like he can’t do anything except worry, so it’s hard to picture himself as a reassuring presence. 

“Yes.” Junmyeon laughs behind his hand. “Somehow. You just always know the right thing to say.” 

Baekhyun feels an arriving wave of gay panic, so to smoothly ruin the moment from getting too emotional he says, “Makes sense. I am amazing.” 

Junmyeon’s slow sigh is worth it, making Baekhyun cackle. 

“You’re unbearable is what you are,” he grumbles, angrily munching on a bit of fish he tears off with his fingers somehow gracefully. 

“Yeah but you like me,” Baekhyun teases. Junmyeon doesn’t have a retort for that one.

They eat in a comfortable silence for a moment, watching the sun get lower and lower still. The beach is pretty quiet even now, just the sound of the waves and wind around them. Junmyeon’s phone rings, but he lets it call through. Then it rings again.

“Are you going to get that…?” Baekhyun asks, eyebrow raised.

“I don’t want to.” Junmyeon pulls his phone out of his pocket and stares at it very hard. “It’s my day off…” It ends. Junmyeon looks relieved when it doesn’t ring again. “They said they’d manage without me.”

“Just how integral to the workplace are you?” Baekhyun asks, slightly amazed.

“ _ Too _ integral.” Junmyeon grunts. “Every restaurant feels like a mess I’m constantly cleaning up. They want me managing  _ everything _ , it’s just too much for one person.” He looks so exhausted just speaking of it Baekhyun’s heart aches, reaching out to massage the back of Junmyeon’s neck with his fingers. He relaxes under the touch. “Whatever. I’d almost be relieved if they all crashed and burned.”

“Really?” Baekhyun’s eyes widen. Junmyeon looks embarrassed just to have said it.

“Yes…” He trails off, then sighs. Pinches the bridge of his nose and rubs his eyes. “If your deepest secret is that you hate wine, then… mine is that I can’t  _ stand _ restaurants.”

It makes Baekhyun bark out a sudden laugh, which he quickly covers with a hand. “What did restaurants ever do to you?”

“Okay not-- not  _ all _ restaurants,” Junmyeon clarifies. “Just-- big ones. Fancy ones. Restaurants where they care more about money than anything else, conglomerates and corporations prioritising price tags over people.” He pouts, puffing out his cheeks, and it’s an oddly childish expression, makes Junmyeon looks years younger than he is --than he even acts or seems. “To me, food should be about the company you’re sharing it with, whether it’s yourself or your family or your friends. It shouldn’t be about... tiny little portions--” he makes a condescending, spiteful pinching gesture to demonstrate. “--that cost more than they’re worth.”

“Wow,” Baekhyun remarks. “You’re really passionate about this, huh?”

Junmyeon straightens, and looks a little sheepish. “...Yeah,” he admits, “I am.” Baekhyun’s hand is still on his neck, so he keeps kneading, little reassuring touches to let Junmyeon know he can keep talking. Baekhyun is in no place to judge anyone, and certainly not someone like Junmyeon, with dreams and passions. It’s so admirable; god Baekhyun likes him so much. 

“My aunt owned a restaurant when I was a kid. I worked there every summer until I was in my twenties,” Junmyeon explains. “It’s how I fell in love with it all. Redesigning restaurants and keeping them running. There’s so much to organise and I think part of me loved that sort of control, that challenge.” He chuckles, though it’s a tight sound. “Every dish was a family recipe. No fancy presentation or fusion,” Junmyeon decides. “ _ That’s _ the sort of restaurant I like. Not high branding and celebrity names. Just… heart.”

Baekhyun hums in consideration, leaning back. “Would you ever try opening your own?” he asks. “It sounds like you’d be good at it.”

Junmyeon flusters suddenly. It’s cute. “I don’t know,” he says. “It’s a lot of work and risk and money…” He exhales slowly. “Kyungsoo and I talk about it a lot when we’re drunk,” he adds, which Baekhyun snorts at. “But never sober.”

“Doesn’t that mean it’s the realest dream of all?” 

Junmyeon huffs. “Maybe.” His fingers trace the edge of the cardboard pack hosting his fish and chips. He turns to Baekhyun. “What’s yours?”

Baekhyun blinks. “My what?”

“Your drunken dream,” Junmyeon amends. “What’s the thing you only talk about when you’ve had too much of that wine you love so much?”

“Ha-ha,” deadpans Baekhyun. Junmyeon looks all-too proud of himself, laughing behind a hand. Baekhyun thinks about it. “Honestly?” he prompts. Junmyeon nods. “I don’t know.”

Baekhyun certainly has passions --he likes clothes, and music, and animals, and bad TV and movies and video games. But none of them are  _ dreams _ , not the fantastical kind and certainly not the realistic kind either. Once upon a time Baekhyun’s dream had been simple; money, a fancy business title, and the perfect family life. But then his path got a little derailed and now he doesn’t know what he wants anymore. Doesn’t know if he’d ever wanted that to begin with, or if he’d let his parents’ dreams and the world around him trick him into thinking that it’s what he was meant to care about. Let it fill the space to numb the pain of knowing he’d never had a dream of his own to begin with. 

“That’s fair too,” Junmyeon says, once Baekhyun has let the silence stretch on for too long. “I mean, really, you’re only thirty. When you’re young and confused it seems so old and far away but then--” Junmyeon laughs. “--then you reach thirty-one.”

It’s such a simple way of framing things that once Baekhyun starts laughing he can’t stop, and then Junmyeon is joining in too, loud and unabashed into the night air. 

“Come on,” Baekhyun urges, when their food is finished and the sun has hit the water. “Perfect photo opportunity, right?”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon agrees, pulling out his phone. He holds it up. “Smile.” 

Baekhyun is caught off-guard, but he throws up a peace sign and gives a lazy smile just in time as Junmyeon snaps a few quick selfies, looking at them and laughing to himself.

“What?” Baekhyun whines.

“Why do your fingers look like that?” Junmyeon asks. “Can’t they be straight?” 

“Nothing about me is straight,” Baekhyun answers confidently, then holds up his double-jointed fingers to demonstrate. “See?”

Junmyeon grimaces, but then snaps a pic of Baekhyun charmingly demonstrating his double joints.

“Hey!” he calls. “I didn’t give you permission for that.” Baekhyun lunges for the phone, but Junmyeon dodges by standing up onto the sand, laughing. It’s stupid, and it’s childish, but it’s a lot of fun just to mess around on the sand as Junmyeon takes pictures and Baekhyun pretends to be indignant, reaching for a phone he doesn’t care about

It ends when Baekhyun tackles Junmyeon into the sand, who goes down with a surprised ‘oof’. Pinning him down by sitting on his stomach, thighs on either side and hands beside his head, Baekhyun confidently says, “I win.” 

Junmyeon’s face twitches, obviously reluctant to have lost even when there’s no real competition to begin with. Still, breathless, he asks, “And what’s your prize?” 

“This.” 

Baekhyun swoops down to claim it, and it’s an awkward kiss because of the angle, teeth bumping briefly and a little bit sandy, both smiling too wide to take it seriously. But it’s a kiss all the same. Junmyeon’s hand lifts up to cup Baekhyun’s cheek, fingers sliding into his hair, and then he sits up, Baekhyun leaning back as he pushes forward, deepening the kiss. He sighs against Junmyeon’s mouth, curls his fingers through his jacket and focuses on the kiss, on feeling one another, basking in the closeness. It’s a relatively new sensation, but it’s one Baekhyun could get lost in forever, if he had the choice. 

They separate after seconds, minutes, hours, Baekhyun doesn’t know, just exhales softly and lets his eyes open softly, finding Junmyeon admiring his face, fingers sweeping over his cheeks, his jawline, his chin.

“This mouth…” Junmyeon remarks, thumb brushing over Baekhyun’s bottom lip. “Criminal.”

Baekhyun pouts cutely, pointing at it. “This old thing?” he asks. Junmyeon huffs then flops down, lying on the sand. Baekhyun laughs and rolls off of him, flopping beside him, uncaring of the sand on his hair or clothes as they lie and look up at the stars.

“When did it get dark?” Baekhyun blurts, and then it’s Junmyeon’s turn to laugh, hands resting on his stomach. 

“Like I said--” he turns his head to face Baekhyun, and it looks like all the stars are reflected in his eyes. Even when he can hear the waves crashing on the shoreline and feels the cool air hit his lungs, Baekhyun feels like he’s drowning. “--Criminal mouth.” 

“Time warping kisses,” Baekhyun jokes, earning a snort as they both turn to look up at the stars. It’s peaceful, and beautiful. It’s strange to Baekhyun, how he’s lived here so long, and yet can’t remember a time he’s ever watched the sunset and looked up at the stars, on his own or with somebody else. It’s such a simple moment, but Baekhyun locks it away as a keepsake too.

“The stars are amazing out here,” Junmyeon compliments softly. Baekhyun hums, then shivers a little at the crisp night air, the sweater not shielding him enough from the wind. Junmyeon props himself up on one elbow, head in hand. “Cold?” he asks.

“Only a little,” Baekhyun mumbles, feeling goosebumps prickle across his skin. “But it’s okay. We can stay out here if you want, I don’t mind.” 

Junmyeon bites his cheek as Baekhyun watches him mull over something.

“Well…” He swallows. “I’m staying at a little bed and breakfast not far from here… It’s very clean.”

“Oh?” Baekhyun arches an eyebrow, biting his lip to hold back a smile. “Is it?” 

“Top-tier standards only the finest,” Junmyeon assures, his other hand nervously poking holes in the sand. “I just thought we could watch a movie… or something…”

“Or something?” Baekhyun mocks, cocking his head. “Are you going to ask me the state of my underwear?” 

“Why would I ask when I could find out myself in person?” Junmyeon counters, which makes Baekhyun flush. He groans, hiding his face behind his hands and sitting up. Humiliating. Junmyeon’s laugh sounds fond, at the very least. He touches Baekhyun’s shoulder, always gentle. “I’m not trying to pressure you, Baekhyun,” he reassures. “I really do just want to watch a movie.” 

Bravely, Baekhyun asks, “And if I don’t…?”

“Then we can do other stuff,” Junmyeon says, a little forced and uncomfortable. It’s cute. “Just…”

“Slow,” Baekhyun provides, because he’d been thinking the same thing.

“Yes,” Junmyeon agrees. “Slow.” 

“Slow is good,” Baekhyun says, only rambling ever-so-slightly, heart pounding in his chest. “Slow works just fine.” 

They walk back to Junmyeon’s car with their fingers interlocked, not quite holding hands but still playfully swinging them between each other. The drive is quiet but comfortable, the radio turned down low as Baekhyun watches the scenery pass. His eyelids feel a little heavy, but then he glimpses at Junmyeon beside him and energy coils so tightly inside him he feels like he’ll burst. The trees lining the road look like hands in the darkness through high beam, arching over the road and reaching for Junmyeon’s car speeding past. 

When they reach the quaint BnB, Baekhyun grimaces in recognition, but reception is empty and Junmyeon already has his key, leading Baekhyun upstairs to his room. It’s simple, decorated with floral wallpaper and one too many pot plants, a queen bed, a TV and a small table and two chairs. It’s cute though, and very tidy. Probably because Junmyeon’s bag is on the edge of the bed, like a ticking time bomb ready to explode his mess everywhere. Not that Baekhyun has ever witnessed it, only heard the horror stories secondhand and seen the photo evidence through Junmyeon himself.

He sits on the edge of the bed, and it springs under his weight. 

“Comfy,” Baekhyun comments.

“Yes, very.” He’s sitting on Junmyeon’s bag strap, and watches amusedly as Junmyeon tugs it from under him and places it on one of the chairs by the window rather than like, on the floor.

“Are you pedantic about everything or only weird specific things?” Baekhyun teases, enjoying the way Junmyeon grunts. “You’re either going to wear two condoms in bed or be a total freak. I can’t decide.”

Junmyeon pauses for a moment, then turns to Baekhyun with darkened eyes, placing a hand under his chin and tilting it up.

“Do you want to find out?” he asks, voice low.

All Baekhyun can manage is, “Hghhgg?”

Junmyeon laughs, and the facade breaks.

“You are  _ awful _ .”

“So I’ve been told.” He grins at Baekhyun, mischievous bastard that he is. “What do you feel like watching?”

Baekhyun can’t really handle the way Junmyeon oscillates between the confident, flirty bastard and the considerate gentleman. It’s a little dizzying, but the juxtaposition somehow makes Baekhyun like him even more.

They pick some artsy european movie because it’s what Junmyeon wants to watch and Baekhyun doesn’t care either way, laying on the bed together side by side with the laptop between them. Baekhyun keeps flicking glances at Junmyeon’s face, wondering at what stage they focus on the  _ chill _ part of ‘Netflix and Chill’. Baekhyun knows they agreed to go slow, but he wouldn’t mind a little more making out.

“Do you speak portuguese?” Junmyeon asks suddenly.

“Huh?” Baekhyun blurts.

Junmyeon laughs. “You seem to be staring at me more than watching the movie, you’re missing the subtitles.” He smiles knowingly. “Understandable, though, I am very handsome.”

“Shut up.” Baekhyun shoves Junmyeon, who rolls a little on the mattress and laughs. “You coaxed me back to your room and you’re not even doing anything about it.” 

Junmyeon hums. “The movie’s nearly over,” he argues, “then we can--”

Baekhyun lets out a frustrated groan, and rolls on top of Junmyeon, blocking his view.

“We don’t even see each other regularly and you’d rather watch a movie then kiss me!?” Baekhyun gasps in offense. “I think that’s an actual crime.”

Junmyeon looks reluctant, but he still wiggles his head to the side to watch the screen. “It’s the climax of the second act, we’re nearly done--”

Baekhyun kicks the laptop screen down with his foot, cupping Junmyeon’s face.

“Pay attention to me,” he demands, pouting. “I didn’t come here to be deprived of kisses.” 

Junmyeon finally looks up at Baekhyun, laughing.

“You’re right.” A hand reaches up into Baekhyun’s hair, nails scraping over his scalp. It has Baekhyun sighing pleasantly. “I am a criminal.”

The attention on his sensitive neck makes Baekhyun shiver a little, which is what distracts him from bracing himself when Junmyeon flips them around, has Baekhyun’s back against the bed and himself between his thighs. 

“Oh god that was so hot,” Baekhyun blurts. Junmyeon laughs and leans in for a kiss. It’s slow but  _ hot _ , and makes Baekhyun sigh, an invitation Junmyeon takes to suck on Baekhyun’s bottom lip and make him whimper a little. It’s nice, though, to just be close with someone again, to feel so comfortable and intimate simultaneously. It makes Baekhyun smile a little into the kiss as he rakes his nails over Junmyeon’s scalp, enjoying the way he shivers, other hand dipping up into his shirt and feeling the hardness of his stomach. 

God Baekhyun’s getting a little dizzy now.

“Do you…” Baekhyun breathes out, and Junmyeon pulls back to look down at him, flushed and panting but concerned. “Do you have abs?” His fingers go up higher, hitching Junmyeon’s shirt upwards with it. “Wah,” he says, intelligently.

“I work out,” Junmyeon replies, then leans back in for more kisses, which Baekhyun indulges in. It’s nice just to feel Junmyeon’s mouth and skin and warmth against him, to bask in it. Baekhyun sighs into their kisses, feeling arousal burn under his skin at a light simmer. 

“Can I…?” Baekhyun bites his bottom lip, tugs at the buttons of Junmyeon’s shirt. Junmyeon nods, and Baekhyun grins, leans up for more kisses and begins unbuttoning Junmyeon’s shirt slowly. He pushes it off his shoulders, with Junmyeon wiggling a little to help accommodate. Baekhyun pulls away from their kisses to admire.

“Wow.” He wolf-whistles. “Well done.” He spots a blob of black tucked under Junmyeon’s arm, and gasps delightedly. “Is that a tattoo?”

Junmyeon grunts, but sits up and lifts his arm, revealing the blurred splotch of black ink, shaped into flowering roses.

“Rebellious phase,” he huffs, like that’s an explanation.

“Very sexy of you,” Baekhyun commends, running his fingers over it and liking the way Junmyeon’s breath hitches at the gentle touch. It makes Baekhyun smile, leaning in to kiss over the tattoo along Junmyeon’s ribs. “I like these too,” he mumbles against his skin, letting his fingers trail over Junmyeon’s abs, then dance along his hips and back up his waist. 

“Good because I work very hard for them,” Junmyeon responds, which makes Baekhyun snort.

“Do you want to stop making out so I can just sit here and praise you instead?” he teases. “You seem to be into it.”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes. “Who doesn’t like praise?” he counters, which… true. “Don’t you want to know how pretty you are?”

It makes Baekhyun flush. “Shut up.”

“All those sounds I make when I kiss you,” Junmyeon continues, breathing into the shell of Baekhyun’s ear. He was horny before, but now his blood is  _ burning _ , his dick straining in his pants. “So pretty. So cute, like a puppy.”

“Junmyeon,” Baekhyun whines, feeling like he just had thirty previously unknown kinks unlocked at once. Junmyeon just laughs and kisses beneath Baekhyun’s ear, down his neck, starts sucking bruises along his collarbones and making Baekhyun moan, a hand in Junmyeon’s hair, threading through it encouragingly. Junmyeon’s thigh presses against Baekhyun’s dick and he sighs, rolling his hips up against it. 

Junmyeon’s fingers brush over Baekhyun’s hips and there’s a brief moment of internal conflict, Panic v. Horniness, but all Junmyeon is doing is tugging at Baekhyun’s sweater for permission to pull it off, which Baekhyun indulges, lifting his arms above his head.

Now bare, Baekhyun feels a little more self conscious even with the lights on low-dim, crossing his arms over his chest.

Junmyeon just peels his hands away, looks at Baekhyun with so much attention and care Baekhyun feels like he could combust. The silence stretches as Junmyeon does nothing other than look at Baekhyun, unmoving.

“What?” he finally says. “No tattoos?” 

Baekhyun lets out a surprised laugh of disbelief, then clumsily wraps a leg around Junmyeon to bring his heel down on the back of his thigh, making Junmyeon laugh. 

“Shut up and kiss me,” he demands, so Junmyeon does. 

It’s been so long since Baekhyun has had any kind of action, he’s forgotten how good it feels just to have skin against skin. It doesn’t help that Junmyeon’s hands on his waist are gentle but reverent, running over his skin like he can see the cracks of Baekhyun’s insecurities and is trying to smooth them over. Baekhyun doesn’t have abs, on the contrary he’s chubby and has a scarred chest from picking at his skin as a teenager. While doubt likes to build in his mind --especially compared to Junmyeon’s rock-hard abs and perfect physique-- it’s nice to notice that Junmyeon obviously doesn’t give a shit, and to remember that even if his brain tries to tell him otherwise Baekhyun really is just. Normal.

Junmyeon lets out a long sigh against Baekhyun’s skin as his hips shift forward, grinding against Baekhyun’s thigh. Fuck that’s hot. Baekhyun brings a hand down to slip into Junmyeon’s back pocket, encouraging him.

“God,” he breathes out. “Please touch me.”

He can hear Junmyeon panting beside his ear, kissing his jaw. 

“You said slow when you were thinking clearer so we’re going slow,” Junmyeon reminds him.

“I can’t believe you’re being considerate even now. I  _ hate _ you,” Baekhyun whines, grinding up against Junmyeon in frustration. “I’m not so horny I can’t think straight, Junmyeon. A hand  _ is _ going slow.” Junmyeon pulls up, swallows and glances down a little nervously. “Unless it’s too much for you too--”

“No,” he assures. “No, it’s not.” He laughs, strained and breathless. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous, I know I’m good--” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “--I think I’m just afraid of messing it up with you.”

“Dude,” Baekhyun emphasizes. “I haven’t even like, kissed someone in years. I don’t think you’ll be the one making mistakes.” He takes Junmyeon’s hand in his, squeezing it. “Besides. That’s just how sex always goes, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon agrees, relaxing. He squeezes back. “I’m just a perfectionist at heart.”

“I’ve noticed,” Baekhyun teases, and pulls Junmyeon in for a sweeter kiss. At the same time, he drags the hand he’s holding down, guiding it towards his dick but giving Junmyeon plenty chances to pull away. He doesn’t, palming Baekhyun with confidence. Baekhyun sighs in relief as he pushes his hips into it, humming in pleasure.

“You’re so sensitive,” Junmyeon mumbles, still rolling his palm. Baekhyun whimpers, bites his bottom lip to muffle his embarrassing sounds. He’d been easy even before he’d accidentally become abstinent, but now it’s been so long he feels like a reactive teenager all over again. “Could you come just from this?”

“Junmyeon,” Baekhyun whines, earning a laugh as Junmyeon obliges and undoes his button and zipper, spitting into his palm and jerking it over Baekhyun’s cock. It has Baekhyun a mess from something so simple, arms wrapped around Junmyeon’s shoulder as he muffles his embarrassing noises into the crook of Junmyeon’s neck.

“Faster,” Baekhyun urges, and Junmyeon obliges, getting up to that rough, punishing pace Baekhyun likes. His hips buck up to fuck into the tight ring of Junmyeon’s fingers, but a thumb under the head has him gone. “Fuck, that feels so good, Junmyeon, I’m--”

“Come, then,” Junmyeon says, and that’s all it takes.

Baekhyun muffles his cry against Junmyeon’s shoulder, and rides out the waves of pleasure in Junmyeon’s hand, hips bucking a few more times until he stills. They stay like that for a moment, pressed against each other, sweaty and panting, Junmyeon’s hand around Baekhyun’s softening dick. Sexy.

Junmyeon pulls back with a grimace, and reaches over with his clean hand to the tissue box on the nightstand, wiping his palm off. Baekhyun just lays back onto the bed, useless and starfish, because nothing knocks a thirty year-old out quite like an orgasm.

“Since you love to know the state of my underwear, right now they’re disgusting,” Baekhyun says. Junmyeon laughs.

“Not sure what you expected,” he says. Baekhyun pouts and pulls him in for a kiss. 

“Need me to return the favour?” he asks as he leans back, waggling his eyebrows. Junmyeon shakes his head.

“I’m okay,” he says. “I’m not as easy as you are, so--”

Baekhyun scoffs and shoves Junmyeon off of him, who laughs as he goes down.

“Wow Mr. Big Dick out here with his  _ endless _ stamina,” Baekhyun bemoans, even as Junmyeon keeps laughing. “I hate you.”

“Your dick says otherwise.”

Baekhyun shoves Junmyeon again, and he laughs, so Baekhyun does too. His laugh is so ugly and handsome all Baekhyun can think about doing again is kissing Junmyeon, so he does that as well.

“I need a shower,” Baekhyun mumbles between kisses. “And to sleep.”

“Stay,” Junmyeon implores, a hand curled around Baekhyun’s hip. That’s all it takes.

He showers and uses the overpriced hotel soap, as well as the given pyjamas. So  _ fancy _ . Outside the bathroom Junmyeon is sitting on the edge of the bed with his shirt still off, hair mussed, scrolling through his phone. It’s so hot it makes Baekhyun’s mouth water all over again.

“Bathroom’s free,” Baekhyun says, running his fingers through Junmyeon’s hair. So soft, not turned to straw like Baekhyun’s over-bleached head. 

Junmyeon grunts in assent, still furiously texting someone. Baekhyun sits on the bed beside him, kissing his bare shoulder. 

“Work?”

“Ah-- yes.” Junmyeon clicks his phone shut, runs a hand through the hair Baekhyun had just ruined further. It fluffs up above his head, so cute. “Sorry. It’s just crazy at the moment, can’t have a day to myself I guess.”

“It’s okay.” Baekhyun reaches forward to take one of Junmyeon’s hands, wriggling back up the bed and tugging Junmyeon back with him. “We can just throw your phone out the window.”

Junmyeon laughs, letting himself be tugged, and Baekhyun bites back any snarky remark as Junmyeon gently places his high-end iPhone on the nightstand but crawls into Baekhyun’s lap, kissing him against the headboard.

“Mmm minty,” he hums, hands cupping Baekhyun’s jaw.

“Am I an ice cream flavour?” Baekhyun goads, even as Junmyeon laughs and places more kisses along his neck. “Are you going to lick me?”

“Maybe.” Junmyeon licks his tongue up the length of Baekhyun’s neck, surprising Baekhyun. “Very sweet,” he mutters into the shell of Baekhyun’s ear.

Baekhyun shoves him off until Junmyeon is on his back, laughing.

“I  _ hate _ you,” he emphasizes. “I just cleaned my dick up, I am not going through that again.”

“Fair enough.” Junmyeon laughs some more before placing a messy kiss to Baekhyun’s cheek, rolling off the bed. “Tag team.”

“Not my favourite kind of tag team!” Baekhyun calls even as the door shuts behind Junmyeon. Alone in the room just makes him antsy, and he vibrates on the spot a little, fumbling over to get his phone from his jacket pocket.

There’s a text from Jongdae:  _ 🍆😢? _

Baekhyun rolls his eyes.  _ Yes, arguably. Happy? _

_ Ecstatic.  _

He ignores that, fucks around on Instagram, tries not to overthink about the last few hours so his brain can nitpick every instance he fucked up in or made a fool of himself. He fails, his brain playing over everywhere Baekhyun could have done something wrong but… it finds none. The last few hours with Junmyeon have been nothing short of perfect.

It feels too good to be true.

Junmyeon comes back out of the bathroom with his own pyjama pants on but still shirtless.

“You just love to show-off, don’t you?” Baekhyun asks.

“Yes.” No shame about it. He leans back on the bed and presses a kiss to Baekhyun’s cheek the same way he’d left, like he’d borrowed it and returned it. It makes Baekhyun flustered --it’s so sweet. “If you snore now’s a good time to let me know.”

“I do  _ not _ .” Baekhyun’s indignant tone makes Junmyeon laugh. His ex had told him he makes puppy noises, but Baekhyun chooses to not give Junmyeon anymore fuel right now. “Do you?”

“Don’t think so.” Junmyeon wriggles under the covers and yawns, suddenly looking impossibly tired. He rolls around to fiddle with the light switches beside the bed, until the only light still on is the lamp on Baekhyun’s side. It casts the room in a warm glow, floral wallpaper and all.

The intimacy of the situation hadn’t even occurred to Baekhyun until now, lying face to face with Junmyeon on the bed like this, feeling his body warmth underneath the covers. It’s such a soft moment Baekhyun doesn’t know what to do with it, doesn’t know how to handle Junmyeon in front of him like this. They’ve barely even had sex, yet they’re sleeping together. It just makes it even more overwhelming.

Then, to make matters worse, Junmyeon worms one hand out from under the cover and cups Baekhyun’s cheek.

“Goodnight,” he says, voice low in its soft cadence and doing strange things to Baekhyun’s insides. “Puppy,” Junmyeon tacks on, as an afterthought.

Baekhyun groans, rolling over so his back is facing Junmyeon, turning off the light and stubbornly curling up.

“I  _ hate _ you.”

But maybe turning around in the darkness is just a good excuse for Baekhyun to hide his red face --even more so when he feels Junmyeon’s chest against his back, his laughter in his hair.

Awful.

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun awakens to a warm bed and the sound of pitter-patter, a hand in his hair.

“Good morning,” Junmyeon greets, seated against the headboard. Baekhyun just grunts and leans further into the touch.

“What time is it?” he mumbles, cheek squished by the pillow under him.

“Nine-thirty, thought I’d wake you up because breakfast stops at ten.” Junmyeon’s fingers brush behind Baekhyun’s ear, sending tingles down his spine. He sighs into the touch. “We can order in, I don’t think I can squeeze an extra guest into the buffet downstairs.”

Baekhyun grunts. “Good plan, I don’t want to do the walk of shame either.” He rolls onto his back, whining when Junmyeon takes that as a sign to stop patting him. He laughs under his breath, placing his hand back in Baekhyun’s hair. Baekhyun lets his eyes fall shut.

“Any more recommended hikes we can do today?” Junmyeon asks.

“While it’s raining? Hell no.” Baekhyun cracks an eye open. “Assuming I’ll spend the whole weekend with you again?”

“I would never assume,” Junmyeon answers diplomatically. “But I can hope.”

It makes Baekhyun roll his eyes. Of  _ course _ he’s spending the weekend with Junmyeon. God.

“Maybe we can just do a gallery or something,” Baekhyun suggests, hand wandering to Junmyeon’s thigh and pressing invisible keys. He practices his C-major scale, up and down. “Or drive around town, watch the waves. I think there’s a certain charm to the ocean when it’s raining.”

“Yes,” Junmyeon agrees, looking down at Baekhyun with a strange expression that makes his insides twirl in a flurry like fingers on a piano scale, up and down. “I do too.”

They tag team the bathroom again, Baekhyun cleaning up while Junmyeon orders room service, and Junmyeon brushing his teeth and cleaning his face while Baekhyun scrolls through his phone again, ignoring Jongdae’s nosey questions and only sending a selfie of him in Junmyeon’s bed with no comment. 

He plays love live to spend his LP for a bit, but a knock at the door has him tossing his phone aside, scrambling to answer.

“Coming!” He pulls the front door open, freezing when a familiar face greets him on the other side.

“Well,” Seulgi says. “You’re not Mr. Kim of room oh-four.”

Baekhyun closes his eyes for a moment, sighing. The Kang’s have been running the town’s bed and breakfast for generations --Baekhyun had grown up with Seulgi and all the other immigrant families, pulled her pigtails by the jungle gym and had a few lengthy conversations with her when bumping into her at the supermarket or the beach, catching up since he’d moved back. Humiliating.

“This isn’t what it looks like,” Baekhyun states, just as Junmyeon decides to exit the bathroom, again,  _ shirtless _ . “Okay maybe it is. A little what it looks like.” 

Seulgi just laughs, holding the tray out. “Just leave the dishes outside the door when you’re done, okay?” 

Baekhyun nods, face in flames, shutting the door behind him.

“Friend of yours?” Junmyeon asks, amused.

“It’s a small town,” Baekhyun hisses, leaving the tray of plates on the table by the window. “Why walk of shame down when I can just order it in?”

Junmyeon laughs. Baekhyun slumps into the seat, pulling off the cover on the tray and arching his eyebrow at all the food. It had felt a little heavy.

“What?” Junmyeon asks, clipped. “I didn’t know what you liked.”

“You are so--” Baekhyun makes a noise in the back of his throat, hungry and somehow turned on both. Is that a thing? “Grrgghg.” He reaches for the bowl of fresh fruit instead, angrily shoving a huge strawberry into his mouth so he doesn’t have to come up with words for his feelings. God it’s so good --it must be fresh from the farm down the road. Hell.

They eat their stupidly fancy breakfast, the fresh fruit and pancakes and waffles and avocado on toast, all the fancy bougie food needed at an inn for mostly white people. They finish as much as they can, but not everything, since  _ one _ dish each would have been enough. Unfortunately Junmyeon being unsure of what Baekhyun likes and that subsequently causing mild panic and him to order everything is both horrendously endearing and an excellent wallet flex, leaving Baekhyun full and horny because of it. 

Terrible.

He’d hoped his newfound urge to get his hands in Junmyeon’s pants would abide once they get dressed and head out for the day --dropping by Baekhyun’s house so he can change clothes. Mongryong is happily lounging in the sun by the dog door, accepting Baekhyun’s pats with a few thumps of his tail. Baekhyun makes sure his food and water is all topped up before heading back out, knowing he can handle one more night alone.

“Next time you come up here you should just stay with me,” Baekhyun suggests as he gets back into the car, tossing his little bag into the backseat even if Junmyeon winces a little as it lands. “I don’t want my dog to get lonely.” Junmyeon stares at him for a moment longer than necessary, and Baekhyun’s brain catches up to his mouth. “I mean um-- if you want--”

“Yeah, okay,” Junmyeon agrees, turning back to the road. “Next time.”

The pancakes inside Baekhyun’s stomach decide to flip themselves, so he focuses ahead too, fiddling with the radio. The rain soaks the road and assaults the windshield, but turns the water a stormy grey. It’s beautiful.

Baekhyun directs Junmyeon to a nearby gallery, made to help support local artists, the one Junmyeon hadn’t gone to that first time. There’s something incredible about it, the art combined with the rain and the quiet. It’s just them in the gallery --Junmyeon reads every single plaque down to the last full stop, and Baekhyun watches him do it, sees Junmyeon standing in front of a canvas spanning an entire wall and just feels so. Small. 

It’s a good feeling.

It’s still raining when they make it out, leaning against the wall under the shelter as they contemplate their next move.

“Lunch?” Junmyeon offers, his hand holding Baekhyun’s almost absentmindedly. It’s sweet, as all things Junmyeon-fashion are. 

“I’m still full from breakfast,” Baekhyun admits, swinging their arms a little. “But if you’re hungry--”

“No,” Junmyeon answers. “Not really.” He sighs, looking out at the rain. “It’s pretty, but it makes things difficult.”

“Just a little.” Baekhyun bites on his bottom lip. “We can just do a movie night or something, maybe at my place?” He’s still worried for Mongryong getting lonely, darn. And maybe he has a few ulterior motives, too. “We can order in or something. I also have a pantry.”

“Oh, a  _ pantry _ ? Tell me more.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, bumping their shoulders together. “What do you say? Rainy day in?”

Junmyeon’s answer is apparently a yes, because they dash back to the car while giggling like idiots under the cold rain before ruining Junmyeon’s fancy leather seats. The air is warm, but with the a/c blasting Baekhyun can’t stop feeling chills, accentuated only when he peeks at Junmyeon’s face while driving and feels something simmer under his skin. It’s strange --yesterday, he’d been so nervous, but then they’d… done  _ stuff _ together and it had dissipated. The more of Junmyeon Baekhyun tastes, the hungrier it leaves him.

It’s terrifying.

“So this is my humble abode,” Baekhyun introduces, as he instructs Junmyeon to pull up alongside the car forever-parked in the driveway. “Ignore the grass being up to your knees.”

“Not one for gardening?” Junmyeon asks, amused. 

“I will not be taking constructive criticism about housework and cleanliness from  _ you _ of all people, thank you very much,” Baekhyun clips. “This way~”

Inside, they kick off their shoes, and Junmyeon examines the entry way with a curious face, all pursed lips and wide eyes, neck craning around.

“It’s clean,” he says, like he’s surprised. Baekhyun pinches him.

“It’s not clean, it’s just basic tidiness,” he corrects, something Junmyeon evidently isn’t familiar with. “Excuse it looking like it was decorated by an old Korean lady though. It’s… because it was.”

“This belonged to your grandmother?” Baekhyun nods, and feels himself tense up a little. Junmyeon softens. “You don’t have to say more if you don’t want to. Sorry.”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “There’s not much to say. She was old, she got sick…” he trails off at the thought. They say you shouldn’t make any drastic decisions in grief, like sell the family home or burn all their possessions. Instead, Baekhyun has just stewed in it for years, like a frog being boiled alive, surrounded by all the things from the person he’d loved most. He shakes it off. “Ovarian cancer. Treatment didn’t work.” 

“I’m sorry.” Junmyeon places a hand on Baekhyun’s arm.

“It’s okay, that was years ago now,” he consoles, squeezing Junmyeon’s fingers. “Out of everyone in the family she left me the deed to the house. It took a bit to transfer it to my name, but… when it did, I moved down here right away.”

Junmyeon nods slowly, perhaps still curious but not pushing further. It makes Baekhyun like him even more, if such a thing is possible.

"C'mon." Baekhyun pulls Junmyeon's hands into his. "I'll give you the tour."

It isn't a large house, by any means, making Baekhyun wonder how all five of them ever lived there at once, until his parents left the countryside and his grandmother chose to stay. There's the living room with all the embarrassing kid pictures of Baekhyun that Junmyeon laughs at, the kitchen, a few bedrooms with closed doors that will remain that way due to all the junk inside them, and then…

"My room," Baekhyun says, kicking the door open to reveal a lazy Mongryong happily asleep on his bed. 'Hey!"

Mongryong perks up a little on the bed, ears alert and tail flipping furiously. He stumbles down the doggy-steps to sniff at Junmyeon, accepting his pats.

“He has a staircase?” Junmyeon asks.

“He has short legs, I can’t pick him up to put him on the bed every time,” Baekhyun mumbles defensively. Junmyeon smiles knowingly, even as he pets Mongryong’s ears. “Shut up.”

They order in pizza, because as forced as he had been to learn how to cook to survivability levels, Baekhyun isn’t exactly at wooing his date levels. He’s also lazy. They scroll through Netflix and argue over it for ages until deciding on some LGBT rom-com, which they then proceed to boo at and criticize while stuffing their faces. Seriously, straight people should  _ not _ be writing stories about coming out. Baekhyun feels like he has second-hand trauma.

“Okay you know what?” he starts as the credits roll, their pizza boxes abandoned on the coffee table. (Junmyeon had asked for a plate, but Baekhyun had made fun of him and forced him to live a little). “That movie took away so many gay rights I think you and I need to makeout to earn them back. Y’know, for the LGBT community.”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes. “You’re so stupid.” He crawls over Baekhyun regardless.

“Yeah?” Baekhyun goads, smiling and curling his fingers into Junmyeon’s shirt. “Does that turn you on, Mr. Intellectual? Do you like how stupid I am?” Another eye-roll. “Would you like me to say something else stupid? Like how I didn’t know to separate my white laundry from my colours until last year--”

“Baekhyun?”

“Yes babe?”

Junmyeon puts a hand over Baekhyun’s mouth. “Please stop talking.” 

“Okay~” he replies, albeit muffled by Junmyeon’s palm. Instead of talking, Baekhyun does as he’s told, peeling Junmyeon’s hand off his mouth and sucking on his fingers instead, licking along them languid and slow, moaning (albeit performatively) while looking up at Junmyeon with dark eyes. 

“Fuck,” Junmyeon curses, pulling his hand back to dive in and kiss Baekhyun. Baekhyun only grins.

Works like a charm.

  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun wonders what the record for most sex in one weekend is, because he thinks he and Junmyeon are getting there.

“Oh my god,” Baekhyun complains as Junmyeon pins him against the kitchen counter in the morning and kisses down his neck. Junmyeon is shirtless, and Baekhyun can feel the goosebumps over his skin, as well as the scratch marks down his back. Oops. “Is this why you didn’t let me touch you the first time? Not because you’re hard to get off but because once you do you never want to stop?”

“Maybe,” Junmyeon mumbles, fingers playing with Baekhyun’s waistband. “You’re just so hot. I want to have as much of you as I can before I leave.”

The reminder somewhat sours Baekhyun’s good mood, so he hooks Junmyeon up for a kiss to distract from the sense of dread in his stomach. Junmyeon moans into his mouth, and moans even further still when Baekhyun sinks to his knees, swallowing dutifully with Junmyeon’s hands tight in his hair.

“I think the toast is cold,” Junmyeon laughs as he helps Baekhyun up. Goddamn that hurt his knees --he’s just thankful he let Mongryong out first thing this morning so he didn’t witness any of those obscenities. 

“Fuck.” Baekhyun scrambles to reheat it. Junmyeon laughs.

They have sex again, after breakfast, because Junmyeon’s dick is fucking magical --both in its pleasure-giving abilities and its refractory period-- until Baekhyun has to beg for no more and they makeout for over an hour instead, just mindless, soft kissing that drives Baekhyun even crazier than all the orgasms. 

Being with Junmyeon is like nothing Baekhyun has ever experienced in any of his relationships before. The soft, sweetness, the tenderness and openness, the way Junmyeon even fucking  _ looks _ at him. Baekhyun doesn’t know how much of that is him being Junmyeon and how much of that is Baekhyun just being… better. He’s not the illness-ridden wreckage of his twenties anymore, instead he’s actually beginning to understand how to be a semi-healthy adult and it makes the romance all the sweeter. He doesn’t have the constant anxiety or self-loathing nagging at the back of his mind so he can finally submerge himself in the moment, and drown.

It’s still raining on-and-off, so they order in, starting some original Netflix series together while cuddling on the couch. It’s so simple it almost makes Baekhyun doubt himself. Here Junmyeon is, visiting from the city, and Baekhyun wonders if he should be making it more fun and exciting for him. 

When he voices such a concern, Junmyeon says, “You’re ridiculous.”

“What?”

“I have all the time in the world to explore the area,” he answers, still watching the screen. Junmyeon is like that, never missing a single detail of acting or cinematography, immersed in the experience. It’s something Baekhyun likes about him --amongst the rest of the endless list. “And I imagine I’ll be coming down a lot. All I really care about is you.”

Baekhyun turns so that he can bury his red face into Junmyeon’s chest. Junmyeon only laughs in response, lightly patting his head.

They finish around three episodes, and Junmyeon checks his phone with a frown while the credits roll, grimacing.

“I should drive home soon,” he admits with a sigh. “I don’t want to drive home in the dark, and I have a bit to do before work tomorrow.”

Baekhyun pouts. “Lame.” He wriggles onto Junmyeon’s lap. “But what if you didn’t leave me?”

“Baekhyunnie,” Junmyeon says gently. “I have to.”

“But what if you  _ didn’t _ ?”

Junmyeon laughs. “We’ll see each other again soon.” He cups Baekhyun’s cheek. “Promise.”

“Don’t go,” Baekhyun says softly instead, hating the feeling of dread in his stomach. He knows he and Junmyeon have only known each other for a few months, knows he shouldn’t be so consumed by this happiness, but it’s something that escaped him for so many years he can’t help but latch onto it. Being with Junmyeon makes him  _ so  _ happy, the thought of not having to see him for one week or more makes Baekhyun feel feral. 

Instead of answering, Junmyeon leans up sweetly to kiss him, and it feels more reassuring than words ever could, helping Baekhyun soften.

“Maybe next time,” Junmyeon starts, lips pursed, “you could visit me...?” 

God he’s so cute.

“It could be arranged,” Baekhyun teases, running his hands through Junmyeon’s hair, down his neck, over his shoulders. “My long train journey just to get some good dick.”

Junmyeon huffs. “You have a car in the driveway outside,” he points out. “Is that not yours too?”

Baekhyun winces. “Well yes, because it was my grandma’s, but driving is…” Well, he does technically have his license, but the breakdown and the anxiety made the prospect of being in a giant death machine very difficult. Getting over that has been something Baekhyun has procrastinated for quite some time. 

“I understand.” Junmyeon softens in sympathy, and Baekhyun almost hates it. Hates how understanding is, how kind, how gentle, how fucking  _ perfect _ . It’s terrifying. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun leans down. “I’m sure.”

So they make out a little more, because Baekhyun is greedy, and then he walks Junmyeon outside to his car and makes out with him against the door a little more there too, barefoot against the cold concrete sidewalk. He whines and complains while Junmyeon babies him before Baekhyun finally lets him go and watches his car disappear down the street in a state of numbness, disbelieving that anything that happened over the weekend really happened at all.

As soon as he’s inside, Baekhyun closes the door with his back, leaning against it and trying not to grin like an absolute idiot.

He fails.

  
  
  
  


“So,” Jongdae starts, leaning on the marble counter just as Baekhyun finishes recapping his weekend. “I have to know… did you come dust?”

Baekhyun throws the cloth he uses for wiping wine off the bottle when he pours at Jongdae’s head while he cackles. Idiot.

“ _ No _ ,” Baekhyun clips back. “It was real authentic one-hundred percent semen.”

Jongdae makes a strong face of discomfort. “I hate that you just said that. I never want to think about your balls in any capacity.”

“That’s not what your mum said last night.” Jongdae throws the cloth right back, smacking Baekhyun in the face.

“I can’t believe a hot, wealthy, good-in-bed bachelor decided to fuck  _ you _ when you’re like this,” Jongdae remarks, genuinely amazed. “What did I do wrong? Am I not enough for him?”

“What’s wrong with Chanyeol?”

“What  _ isn’t _ wrong with Chanyeol, honestly, but he’ll understand. Maybe sometimes I want to be topped by someone who isn’t the definition of a service top when they aren’t bottoming.”

“Eugh.” Baekhyun grimaces. “Thanks. I never want to think about yours  _ or _ Chanyeol’s balls in any capacity.”

“You’re welcome.” Jongdae winks, then nudges Baekhyun with his elbow. “But seriously, I’m happy for you. It kinda sounds ridiculously romantic, really. A weekend where you can’t get enough of each other.” He puts his chin on his hand and sighs wistfully. “The best part of any relationship.”

Baekhyun doesn’t point out that Jongdae and Chanyeol are  _ still _ like that, years later, because Jongdae needs an ego boost like he needs a hole in his head. 

“It was pretty amazing,” he admits, toes curling at the thought. It’s only been a day and he misses Junmyeon already.

“Yeah see that?” Jongdae points at Baekhyun’s face. “ _ Disgusting _ .”

It causes Baekhyun to whack Jongdae with his cloth, and they quickly dissolve into a squabbling fight that ends only when Minseok enters the room and sighs.

He seems disappointed, not mad, which is even worse, causing Baekhyun and Jongdae to break apart and immediately throw out a thousand apologies.

“I don’t want to hear it.” Minseok raises a hand up to silence them and rubs his temples. “I don’t have time for you two and your best friend sitcom. Baekhyun--” he perks up. “--I need your help moving some stuff out of the old cellar.”

That makes Baekhyun blink. “What for?”

“I want to measure it up,” Minseok reveals. “I’ve been thinking about what to do with it for a long time, and I have some ideas, but it depends on how much space it’s got.”

Baekhyun salutes. “Aye aye captain.” He unties his apron, leaving it on the hook behind the staff door, getting the keys to the old cellar off Minseok and heading out through the vineyard. Minseok had instructed him to pile up all the old boxes and knick-knacks outside, which their turns out to be a  _ lot _ of, so Baekhyun enlists Jongdae’s help.

Surprisingly, the old cellar is much bigger up close than Baekhyun had ever realised viewing it from the back of the wine-tasting area. It’s a gorgeous old building even though it’s broken down and dusty, but there’s a certain rustic charm to it, nestled between the rows and rows of grapevines. Apparently when Minseok had inherited the vineyard the French family before him had been using the cellar only for unwanted storage and he hadn’t had a reason to clear it out until now.

Dusting his hands off, Jongdae says, “I think it’s good Minseok’s finally starting to do something about it.” He looks around at the now-empty building. It’s a wide, open space with several floors to it and everything. “Expanding the business is always a plus but… I don’t know. This cellar always felt like a dark spot in the whole place. I think sometimes it’s just good to dust out old cobwebs and let in the light.”

Baekhyun looks up at the arched ceiling, inhales the fresh air blowing through the windows and doors they’d flung open to get rid of the scent of mould and dust. He inhales the feeling, breathing it in, lets it fill out to the ends of his fingers.

“Yeah,” he agrees. “It really is.”

  
  
  
  
  


Despite their lofty promises to see each other and subsequent homosexual brainworms, Baekhyun actually doesn’t see Junmyeon the next weekend, or the weekend after. Each Thursday Junmyeon apologises for having too much work between his job and his brother to come down  _ or  _ to entertain Baekhyun if he came into town, and it leaves Baekhyun in each instance deflated and upset as he mopes around all weekend walking Mongryong aimlessly.

“Okay, your depressive spiral is getting out of hand,” Jongdae intervenes one night at dinner after a quiet meal where he and Chanyeol had exchanged worried glances while Baekhyun glared daggers at his phone. “Dick too bomb, huh?”

“Shut  _ up _ .” Baekhyun leans over, burying his head in his arms. “Is it bad that I miss him so much?”

“Nah, the clinginess is normal in any new relationship.” Jongdae elbows Chanyeol. “Ow!”

“Of course you miss him, it’s been over two weeks,” Jongdae consoles. “Why not just go into town anyway?” Baekhyun looks up, eyebrows pinched. “I mean, Yeollie and I are visiting his sister Friday night, you can hitch a ride with us if you’d like.”

“Yeah! Surprise him!” Chanyeol agrees, nodding excitedly like a hyper-active labrador. “It sounds like he works too much. Hold an intervention.”

“I don’t know…” The prospect of spontaneity terrifies Baekhyun, makes him doubt himself and wonder if Junmyeon even wants him to begin with. Maybe this is Junmyeon’s way of letting him down gently to begin with but--  _ no _ . Baekhyun won’t let himself think like that. He knows what they have is real and mutual, he won’t let nagging voices in the back of his head make him think otherwise. 

Or at least, he’s trying not to, but every day away from Junmyeon makes it so much harder.

“You can show up at his doorstep with flowers and a bow around your dick,” Jongdae adds. “The perfect declaration of love.”

“I’m not in love with him,” Baekhyun snaps, though he certainly feels like he could be, one day. Not that he likes how scary that is, too. “I don’t even really know if we’re dating.”

Jongdae snorts. “What sort of question is that? He drives over an hour to see you and spent all weekend with you. Sounds exclusive to me.” Baekhyun’s expression must tell more than he’d like it to, because Jongdae quickly looks concerned. “Are you seriously being a commitmentphobe after everything?”

“ _ No _ ,” Baekhyun argues. “I just… I’m scared. I don’t want to fuck things up with him when it all seems so perfect. The fact that it  _ is _ so perfect terrifies me. I keep thinking when the pin is going to drop and I wonder if we’re just fuckbuddies or something or--”

“Why are you so afraid of this?” Jongdae cuts in, unusually serious. “You’re so… defensive. I’m sure Junmyeon would be happy to see you  _ and _ be your boyfriend.”

“Because it’s too good to be true!” Baekhyun blurts, and the realisation hits him like a ton of bricks. How easy they understand each other, how well they get along, how the feelings are all so consuming and  _ real _ … it feels like a fantasy, and Baekhyun is waiting for the unhappy ending. “And good things don’t happen to people like me...”

All the anxiety and apprehension, he’s been fighting it but it’s only been growing, and every day away from Junmyeon gnaws at his worries and makes him think that something in their relationship is going to get fucked up because bad things  _ always _ happen to Baekhyun. That’s just how it is.

Jongdae softens, and he looks so genuinely upset and hurt it surprises Baekhyun, even while Chanyeol puts a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, rubbing.

“That’s sad,” Chanyeol says softly. “And it isn’t true, either.”

“You owe it to yourself to just… have this, Baekhyun,” Jongdae tells him. “You can let yourself be happy.”

Baekhyun swallows, hesitant, but he realises his friends are right. He doesn’t need to keep being scared of how much he cares about Junmyeon, or how much he likes him. No matter if they’re too strong for other people or too fast or any of that crap it’s his relationship, his life, his choice. And he’s choosing Junmyeon; choosing happiness.

Baekhyun’s toes curl a little at the thought of the plan surprising Junmyeon and forcing them into spending time together. They are in a relationship… or something. Baekhyun doesn’t like thinking about it too hard.

“Okay,” Baekhyun relents, confidence growing. “Okay, yeah. Let’s fucking do this.”

  
  
  
  
  


“I can’t fucking do this.”

Baekhyun turns to get back in the car and have Jongdae bury his body by the ocean so he can return to the sea, but a hand on each arm --one Jongdae’s, one Chanyeol’s-- stops him.

“You’re ridiculous,” Jongdae says. “This is a good idea! What are you afraid of? Other than that gorgeous intervention we had about you denying yourself good things.”

Of Junmyeon seeing him and thinking he’s a freak for coming all this way just to see him, of looking at Baekhyun and realising he doesn’t want him anymore, of rejection or disgust or horror or--

“Nothing logical,” Baekhyun relents. “But still. Scary.”

“You’re a baby,” Jongdae tells him. “You did not go through all that phone anxiety talking to the chef dude just to chicken out at the last second.”

“Okay, okay you’re right. Fuck.” Even remembering that phonecall with Kyungsoo gives him a headache. How humiliating. “I can um, do this.” He clenches the flowers in his hands tighter.

“That’s the spirit!” Jongdae slaps him on the shoulder.

He’d had to call the restaurant they’d been to on that first date, explain his excruciating circumstances to the poor teenage staff, before asking Kyungsoo for favours. He’d known Junmyeon would be here on Friday because he is  _ every _ Friday, but he needed to ensure he’d walk out to where Baekhyun is and wouldn’t leave too early or something, which Kyungsoo had been surprisingly happy to handle. Baekhyun thought chefs were meant to be mean and blunt, but Kyungsoo seemed to go along with his plan swimmingly. Baekhyun hopes he’d kept it a secret, but he seems like the type regardless.

After waiting around for far too long, when Junmyeon finally leaves the front doors of the place at around six, Baekhyun’s toes curl and his breath hitches and he freezes up.

All the worries, all the anxieties, it disappears. Baekhyun likes this dumb little hipster restaurant conoisseur  _ so _ much, and he won’t let anything get in the way of that.

“Junmyeon!”

Junmyeon spots him immediately, blinking across the road where Jongdae parked and rubbing his eyes like he isn’t sure it’s real. He looks both ways briefly, before crossing over.

“Baekhyun?” he starts. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Surprise?” Baekhyun offers. Junmyeon presses him against the car and kisses him.

It makes Baekhyun squeak at first, but the kiss turns a little hungry and desperate as their mouths reunite again, the flowers rolling out of distracted fingers and falling to the ground as Baekhyun moans into the kiss, curling his fingers through Junmyeon’s belt loops instead.

“Well, as much as I love a free porno I think that’s our cue to leave.” Baekhyun and Junmyeon pull back, bashful. He’d kind of forgotten Jongdae and Chanyeol were there. “Also hi, I’m Jongdae from the vineyard, this is Chanyeol. We’re leaving now.”

“Nice to meet you…?” Junmyeon offers with a laugh as Jongdae opens the passenger door and shoves Chanyeol through it, bumping Baekhyun aside so he can get into the driver’s side. He reaches into the backseat to toss Baekhyun’s bag at him.

“Seems like you’ll be spending the night together so have fun! Use protection!”

“I hate you,” Baekhyun says as Jongdae shuts the driver door. “Really.”

Jongdae just winks at him through the window as he starts the engine, and Baekhyun and Junmyeon laugh as they scramble to get to the sidewalk (after scooping the bouquet off the ground) as Chanyeol winds down the window and yells, “Have fun kids!!!!” While they drive away.

“My friends are the worst,” Baekhyun bemoans.

“Not more so than mine making fake problems at work so I’d stay later,” Junmyeon huffs. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Believe it baby,” Baekhyun returns, handing the flowers over. “How sexy and romantic of me is this, out of ten?”

“A solid eight, would’ve been better if your friends hadn’t interrupted that kiss.” Junmyeon accepts the flowers with a coy smile while Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “My apartment is a mess, fair warning.”

“It’s okay, I’ve seen your dick.” Baekhyun links their hands together and lets Junmyeon lead him to his car. “I’m in this for good now.”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes. Baekhyun just laughs and squeezes his hand tighter.

As they get in the car, Junmyeon says, “Do you want to go out for dinner?” Baekhyun hums in contemplation. “I don’t have a reservation anywhere but-- I’m sure we can find a spot.”

Ignoring Junmyeon’s dig at Baekhyun’s spontaneity, he replies, “Stomach says… hunger… but brain says… eat in and have sex all night. Tough call.”

Junmyeon huffs out a laugh. “It’s a hard decision, but I’m sure we can manage an hour or two without fucking. I know a few places that are worth it.”

And that doesn’t turn out to be a lie when Junmyeon leads Baekhyun to a little Japanese place nestled in the centre of the city that serves the most amazing food Baekhyun has ever had, and he kind of forgets how badly he wants to fuck Junmyeon. That is until Junmyeon uses his thumb to wipe stray soy sauce off of Baekhyun’s lip in the middle of the restaurant and he gets horny all over again.

Junmyeon pays with his usual wallet flex that Baekhyun is starting to feel guilty about, then asks, “Dessert?”

“No,” Baekhyun whines. “The only D I want is your dic--” Junmyeon covers his mouth.

“You are embarrassing,” he says bluntly.

“Yeah but you  _ like _ it.”

“Unfortunately.” Junmyeon’s admittance to such a thing turns Baekhyun red and flustered. Junmyeon gives him a look. “Seriously? That’s what gets you to be quiet?”

“Shut up.” Baekhyun whines and paws at Junmyeon’s arm. “Take me to your horrible apartment and fuck me old man.”

“You say the most charming things, how could I ever resist.”

Baekhyun just laughs.

Junmyeon’s apartment is a little way out from the city centre but is still in a ridiculously nice building that intimidates Baekhyun. It’s the sort of luxury that he would’ve wanted before his breakdown and all that garbage, but now just seems foreign to him compared to the simpleness of the countryside.

Inside, his apartment isn’t… as horrible as Baekhyun had expected. There are shoes everywhere by the front door and a lot of dirty dishes but Junmyeon is quick about whirring through the place and hiding most of the particularly bad messes.

The real gem, however, is the fluffy cream cat lounging on her cat tower, who Baekhyun immediately coos at and walks over to pet.

“Picatso~” he sing-songs. “What a legend.” She’s cute and friendly, purring against Baekhyun’s hands and brushing her face over his knuckles.

“Did you want something to drink?” Junmyeon asks from the small kitchen. “Wine? Beer?”

“Ha-ha.” Baekhyun had ordered coke at dinner and Junmyeon had laughed so hard he wheezed. “I’d rather drink you.”

“Very smooth.”

“Thank you.” Baekhyun musters up all the will-power he has to stop patting the cat and walk over to the kitchen, leaning his elbows on the granite counter. “I’ve heard I’m very charming.”

Junmyeon rounds the counter. “Incredibly.” 

He hooks Baekhyun into another all-consuming kiss then, with Baekhyun pushing him against the counter to press their bodies together. It’s hot, and hungry, and desperate, filled with weeks of pent up tension with nowhere to release. Baekhyun’s already getting hard and panting by the time they’re both gasping for breath, mouths swollen from such bruising kisses.

“Junmyeon,” Baekhyun breathes out, pressing soft kisses to his mouth between words. “I know I surprised you--” more kisses. “--but I  _ did _ clean up the ol’ downstairs area.”

“Oh.” Junmyeon’s face of surprise is cute.

“Is that okay?” Baekhyun blurts. “I mean I know I said it in the least sexy way possible but--”

“No, that’s more than okay.” Junmyeon kisses him again. “I’ll just have to do the same tomorrow to return the favour.”

That makes Baekhyun grin, but that only turns into a squeal when Junmyeon picks him up bridal style to carry him into the bedroom while pressing kisses against Baekhyun’s face, kicking the door shut behind them.

  
  
  
  
  


In the morning they shower together, because Junmyeon’s bathroom is spacious and considerate like that, allowing them both to fit in the wide open space and makeout beneath the warm water. It’s nice just to be close, giggling into Junmyeon’s mouth, and to feel his hands knead out all the bruises and scratches and overall soreness he’d helped cause the night prior.

Soft and warm, Junmyeon lends Baekhyun some old sweat pants and a hoodie that smell like his cologne, curling into it gratefully, and they go out for brunch to a cute cafe down the street. It’s one of the things Baekhyun misses about city life, he thinks --the countryside just doesn’t have the same obsession with breakfast cafes.

“I do have a little bit of work to do today,” Junmyeon admits around his stack of pancakes, as Baekhyun fumbles to catch the smashed avocado falling off his toast. “Is that alright?”

“Of course it’s fine.” He speaks with a mouthful. “I know I surprised you but I don’t want to get in the way of your plans. I’m just happy to be near you.”

Junmyeon softens in a way Baekhyun can’t handle right now, so he busies himself with eating instead. After breakfast they go for a walk, holding hands and chatting aimlessly. Junmyeon vents about the ridiculousness of his job and Baekhyun is sure to absorb every bit of information, to listen intently and focus. It doesn’t matter what the topic is, every word Junmyeon speaks Baekhyun just wants to store and keep forever, a memory to cherish for a long time to come. It’s not an emotion he’s used to, but he’s starting to get the hang of it.

The rest of the Saturday progresses like most of their time together --they hang out in his apartment, Baekhyun on his phone while Junmyeon works, petting the cat on his stomach, and making sure to interrupt Junmyeon every hour or so for mandatory make out break. They grab dinner, they have sex, Baekhyun sleeps in while Junmyeon goes out for breakfast with his brother and the wedding planning party. Instead of lunch they just sit on the couch and cuddle, watching the TV show they’d started last time in silence, even though Baekhyun struggles to remember what had happened.

It’s so… simple. And so domestic, Baekhyun keeps finding it scary and hilarious that he’s scared of it at all. Everything with Junmyeon feels like it’s happened so fast and at the same time it just feels so… normal. Natural. Baekhyun wonders if he’d been waiting his whole life for someone like Junmyeon to come into it, or if he’s only just come to a point in his life where he’s willing to  _ let _ someone like Junmyeon in. Maybe a mix of both.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Getting driven to the station feels weirdly solemn, even though Baekhyun knows they’ll see each other again soon he just… doesn’t want to be separated from Junmyeon. Ever. Is it too soon to move in with him? ...Probably. Maybe. Baekhyun will put it on the back burner for now, if only because he doesn’t want to live with such a slob.

“I promise next time I won’t keep putting you off,” Junmyeon says as the car rolls to a stop outside the station. “I didn’t… I didn’t even realise how buried in my work I was until I saw you and realise that it hadn’t been worth it at all. I’m sorry you had to come all this way to make me realise that.”

It still makes Baekhyun smile shyly, despite himself. 

“Well, I’m glad I could dick some sense into you.” He curls his hand around Junmyeon’s, even as Junmyeon snorts and rolls his eyes. “You work too much.”

“Yeah.” Junmyeon laughs nervously. “I think I’ll quit soon, after this project.” The mention startles Baekhyun, eyes widening. “I don’t know what I’ll do after but I’ll find something. I’ve realised recently that I don’t need to pretend to be something I’m not.” He looks over at Baekhyun and smiles, rubbing a thumb over his knuckles. Baekhyun feels so full he could burst.

“Well, I’m glad.” He smiles. “Glad that I’m amazing and can give you epiphanies like that after you ignored me for work for so long.”

Junmyeon huffs in dry amusement, staring down at his lap. “I’m sorry,” he offers again. “I haven’t… been with someone like this in so long, I think I’ve kind of forgotten how to manage having it.” 

"It's okay." Baekhyun squeezes. "I get it. I'm relearning how to do this too."

Maybe it's why they work, in hindsight. Like two lost ships in the night, guided by a single light. 

Junmyeon squeezes back.

“I’m also sorry we didn’t do more exciting things…”

“Junmyeon, I lived here for ages. Getting to have sex with you is all the city has to offer.” He pauses. “That,and Picatso.”

Despite the Baekhyun token vulgarity, Junmyeon smiles so big it makes his eyes curve. Baekhyun wants to kiss him, so he does, leans across the centre console to cup Junmyeon’s face and kiss him. Soft and tender, just like them. 

When they pull apart, and Baekhyun has to inhale just to remember how to breathe, Junmyeon looks so deep into his eyes it’s like he’s seeing pieces of Baekhyun he himself can’t find. It’s a thick moment, heady, and Baekhyun realises he likes this stupid pretentious wine-expert. So fucking much.

“I want you to come to my brother’s engagement party with me.”

Well, that’s not what Baekhyun had expected.

“...Huh?” 

“I know it’s maybe a bit soon.” Junmyeon clears his throat and fiddles with his shirt, nervous. “But I really do want you there. I want to see you and I… want you in my life. I don’t know why I should have to hide you when I feel like this.”

Baekhyun swallows. “I mean, sure?” he offers. “I want to be a part of your life too.” He laughs nervously, because it’s too much emotion to express all at once. “But this um-- I mean that sounds very… boyfriend-y.”

Junmyeon blinks. “Were we not already boyfriends?” he looks nervous with the colour drained from his face and his wide-eyes. “God I’m super old.”

“No I mean I thought we were I just-- wanted to be sure.”

Junmyeon huffs out a laugh. “Then yes, I think it’s safe to say we’re dating.” He intertwines their fingers together. “As scary as it is.”

“It’s very scary,” Baekhyun amends. “But that’s why it’s good we’re scared together.”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon agrees. “We can push each other through the haunted house. You make me want to try.”

Something about that sends Baekhyun plummeting further and further still, so he quickly changes topics. “I’m sorry I don’t have many family events to invite you to yet to prove how serious I am, though.”

“That doesn’t matter.” Junmyeon is smiling even as he shakes his head, looking at Baekhyun with those crescent eyes that make him feel like he won the lottery of life. “I like you so much it drives me crazy. I’ll have you in any way you want me.”

“Funny you mention that,” Baekhyun mumbles, leaning in for a kiss. “Because I could say the same about you too.”

The kiss is soft, sweet, filled with emotions Baekhyun doesn’t like to voice but is happy to show, all the tenderness and gratefulness that Junmyeon is in his life, that he’s a marker of Baekhyun’s healing and will be a band-aid for even more. He’ll need to chase Jongdae up about helping him learn how to drive again, maybe, talk to Minseok about less wine selling and more helping with that cellar project, maybe even do a little yardwork. But that’s all stuff for the future. With Junmyeon’s mouth against his, Baekhyun feels like he has all the time in the world.

They end up kissing for so long Baekhyun almost misses the train, dashing to catch it reminiscent of their first kiss, all those months ago. From the platform he turns to wave at Junmyeon through the fence, and can tell Junmyeon is laughing as he waves back, and he knows that for once in his life, everything is going to be perfectly fine. 

Maybe lying on your resume is kinda worth it after all. 

* * *

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> capitalism is awful and you should definitely lie on your resume


End file.
